


high voltage when we kiss

by vivalagay



Series: #stanhoneypup (honeypup one shots) [3]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Praise Kink, but honeypup are adults!!!!, minnie has a big crush on shownu so he's mentioned a lot lol, squishy honey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-03 00:32:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 53,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10231499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivalagay/pseuds/vivalagay
Summary: His heart jumps a little at the sound of heels tapping against a staircase, but Jooheon's so close to him that he can't really find himself caring. He kisses him then, and it feels like the first time. Nottheirfirst time—rushed and greedy and meaningless—butafirst, like it's the first time that Minhyuk has ever felt Jooheon's lips against his, the first time he's even been close to him, feeling his soft skin underneath his fingertips. He feels Jooheon's hand on the small of his back, as if he wants them to be as close to each other as they possibly can, and Minhyuk wonders to himself how something so meaningless can feel like it means everything.or, The trouble with no strings is you can only fall.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i've been thinking of this for so long and finally after a lot of takis and screaming, it's finally written!!! imagine jooheon as he is now except squishier!! ≧◡≦
> 
> thanks to kadee, my loooove, for always helping me when i was stumped and constantly listening to me scream about this story!!! rachel (my name twin!!) who needs holy water but thankfully read over all my smut!!! and sammi, who helps me spread the honeypup gospel!!! we only see and know what is real and what is real is honeypup.
> 
> title from "cardiac arrest" by bad suns

Papers flood Minhyuk's desk, all untouched for weeks and neglected, much like the notepads and stuffed folders labeled with something that's probably important tossed off somewhere in the drawers of his desk with a little note to himself to look through them later. Minhyuk is sure he's jotted the reminder in the margin of a stray paper lying around here somewhere, but he's already distracted with the thousands of e-mails that've been left unread and the little sticky notes scattered across his desk from messages probably important people leave his boss that Minhyuk manages to scrabble down from those he hasn't accidentally hung up on.

Honestly, when Minhyuk had applied to be the personal assistant of a phone company's young and pretty hot chief executive officer (besides the fact he'd applied out of desperation with very small confidence in his application actually being taken into consideration) he'd expected preparing cups of coffee in the mornings and organizing notes from Son Hyunwoo's business meetings. Of course Minhyuk does all that too, which he's still somewhere in between practicing with, but he hadn't expected actually, well, _doing_ stuff. Stuff that takes time and no procrastination.  Two things that Minhyuk is nowhere near good with. 

"Have you moved at all since this morning?" Kihyun asks, looking important with a clipboard in hand as he enters the room. He's something that Minhyuk has no idea if there's an actual title for. A co-assistant of some sort, someone who actually remembers the time of Son Hyunwoo's conference calls and wears unwrinkled button-down shirts and makes coffee that he doesn't slowly set down after a single sip. Minhyuk's practicing at least. He thinks there must be some reason why _he's_ the personal assistant. The only reason he's really come up with is that Hyunwoo feels a little sorry for him. 

"I've moved," Minhyuk replies, fingers tapping over the laptop keyboard. "I finally figured out how to log into the company's e-mail. Did you know there was an agency from Gwangju wanting to schedule a meeting with our company? I've been trying to respond since I've read it this morning, but I'm scared everything I write doesn't sound professional enough."

"Yes, I do know, because I've been knowing how to log into the company e-mail since forever," Kihyun sighs. "Also, CEO Son had that meeting two months ago."

"Two months ago?" Minhyuk's fingers pause over the keyboard, contemplating whether to chuck it to the floor or ram it into his head.

"Why didn't you just ask to log in?" Kihyun places a sympathetic hand to his shoulder. "It's nearly been a year since you've come here. You asked for the Wi-Fi password five minutes into your first day at the job; you could've just asked how to log into the company e-mail."

Minhyuk thinks of a response, but by the time Kihyun's reached the end of his sentence, he's forgotten it. "I'm trying," he decides to tell him instead, because he knows quite well what he looks like.

"And I'm," he sets his clipboard on Minhyuk's desk before embracing the group of neglected papers scattered around to take, "definitely going to CEO Son's annual Shanghai business trip this year."

Minhyuk sucks in a breath. He couldn't careless about the Shanghai business trip, but whether Kihyun is one of his friends or not, he's been out for his blood ever since CEO Son invited Minhyuk to trail along and not him. Even though Minhyuk had only been his personal assistant (and a pretty shit one) for five months.

Apparently Kihyun has been fighting to be invited to Shanghai for two years, even if the business trip is months away from now. Minhyuk doesn't really see what's the big deal. Shanghai was nice, but it was still business, and he'd spent more time pouring drinks and sitting through long business meetings in weird garage-like rooms with intimidatingly professional men and translators and no air conditioning than touring Nanjing Road. It wasn't like Minhyuk agreed to go to Shanghai to go to Shanghai, anyway. He'd agreed to go to Shanghai under the impression he'd have two weeks of just CEO Son, although these long business meetings in weird garage-like rooms were the only times he'd seen him at all.

"Good luck with that," Minhyuk smiles before Kihyun widens his eyes and hurries out Minhyuk's office, some papers flying onto the floor after him. Minhyuk doesn't really get his reaction until he catches a glimpse of CEO Son through the glass walls of the doorless office and quickly returns to his laptop to make himself seem productive. 

"Minhyuk-ssi?" It's stupid the way his stomach churns at the sound of his voice, after all the times he's heard it, like a little student having heart eyes for his professor. An infatuation with someone _so_ far out of his reach. But Minhyuk lips instantly lift into a smile, anyway, and he's too caught up in the way CEO Son's navy blue blazer hugs against his biceps and how the sunlight leaks into the glass building, adding a glint to his boss' dark skin that he really does not need, that Minhyuk almost forgets to bow.

"Oh, good afternoon, sir!" Minhyuk blurts, standing up from his seat and lowering his head so abruptly that his forehead smacks into the desk. " _Shit_  — I mean, crap! I'm — wow, I'm okay."

"You should watch your drinks," Hyunwoo says, softly chuckling at his own joke. Minhyuk smiles in what he hopes to not be a grimace and lifts his cup of lukewarm tea at him. "Sorry for interrupting. You must be busy."

"No, of course not! I'm just, um, doing stuff and whatnot. Important things, obviously! But you're not bothering me at all."

He nods, trailing his eyes over Minhyuk's desk with an expression he can never comprehend. Although Kihyun has left off to tie the ends of majority of the things Minhyuk has failed to, he still feels a little self-conscious with his disastrous desk under Hyunwoo's scrutiny. "Uh, do you want to go to a party?" he suddenly asks. So casually, and out of absolutely nowhere, it seems.

Minhyuk pauses, his heart racing. Slowly, he settles back into his seat. "What?"

"There have been a million sales of our newest model," he explains.

"Right, right," Minhyuk nods.

"Our president thought it'd be a good idea to have a party tonight, and, well, you've been working so hard —"

"I'd love to come, sir," he replies a little too quickly. Hyunwoo smiles in the way that makes him kind of look like a child, and Minhyuk can't keep himself from grinning right back at him.

"And me?" Kihyun asks, suddenly reappearing from the entrance of Minhyuk's office. He wonders how long he'd been standing there, eavesdropping. 

"Sure, everyone is invited," Hyunwoo smiles. He turns and nods to Minhyuk. "See you then. Ten o'clock."

Minhyuk bows more safely this time, and then Kihyun, before Hyunwoo's waving a hand to the two men and disappearing down the hallway. 

"Oh, God," Minhyuk exhales as soon as the back of the CEO'S head is gone from his sight, "he just said the most words I've ever even heard from him, and they were to _me._ Did you hear that?"

"All I heard was me being invited to a party," Kihyun grins. "This is my chance to convince CEO Son I'm eligible for the Shanghai business trip!"

Minhyuk happily sighs, tucking a hand under his chin, and he thinks,  _this is my chance to tell CEO Son that I love him._

 

. . .

 

"I understand what you're saying," Hoseok tells him, slowly, "but I think you missed the part where you explain to me how this is a good idea."

Minhyuk pouts at his friend lying on his bed, embracing a pillow and eating from a clear bowl of popcorn and M&Ms. He'd invited Hoseok to listen to him think out loud and help him decide on an outfit that falls between husband material and sex god (because if he's going to be honest, his friend may mostly be a little floof around him, but he knows much more about being sexy than Minhyuk does), although instead of helping, all Hoseok has really done is clean out his kitchen cabinets.

"I will never be given such better timing," Minhyuk replies in his defense. "Do you know how easy it is to seduce someone in a club?"

Hoseok smiles. "Says the one who hasn't been in a club since he was sixteen."

"And that's why you're here," Minhyuk tells him. "So, are you going to help me or what?"

"I just have my doubts, you could say," his friend sighs, sitting up and stretching two muscular arms over his head. "You've barely spoken to your boss, you rarely see him, and you two know nothing about each other. I mean, how do you know the guy's not a complete asswipe?"

"He's not an asswipe; he's Son Hyunwoo," Minhyuk easily argues. "And he does a lot of charity work. He's the perfect person, seriously."

Hoseok shrugs.

"What? Do you think there's not a possibility of CEO Son liking me?"

"When you say it like that it makes it seem a bit harsh, but it's like," Hoseok throws a handful of popcorn in his mouth, "I don't know, you can't really know if he likes you, because you don't know your boss at all."

Minhyuk pouts again, arms crossing. " _You're_ the asswipe. Just help me pick out an outfit already."

With a sigh, his friend pulls himself from the bed and disappears into Minhyuk's closet, leaving the man in too much silence to rethink himself.

He's sure he can't be wrong about this. Surely. He knows —

_hopes_ , at least, that he's read him correctly, that the way his boss smiles at him and drops into his office to see how he's doing every once in a while isn't just Hyunwoo being a good-natured CEO.

Minhyuk knows that he knows a little too much about his boss for him to only be his boss. He can recite Hyunwoo's favorite Starbucks order perfectly as if it's written word for word on the palm of his hand; he knows that Hyunwoo had wanted to be a dancer before his dad died, and then he'd majored in business to inherit their family's phone company; he knows that Hyunwoo has a nineteen-year-old stepbrother who he cares about a lot and still talks to like a baby; he knows that Hyunwoo is shit at creating PowerPoint presentations for conferences and always sends them to Kihyun for approval, and that Kihyun always sends it back completely different. And Minhyuk also knows that Hyunwoo hates business meetings and is terrible at taking notes, so he always prefers Kihyun or Minhyuk to be with him.

Minhyuk thinks about Hyunwoo inviting him to the party, how he'd took time out of his day to walk to his office and ask him if he'd like to come, and how he'd invited him to Shanghai only after five months of knowing him with Kihyun having much more experience and professionalism. He's sure there must be a reason why Son Hyunwoo had only personally invited him to this party, and he's sure there must be a reason why he'd once distractedly rubbed Minhyuk's shoulders after one long day in Shanghai.

There's just some things you can't be wrong about.

"Is this too dark?" Hoseok asks, hauling in hangers of black jeans and a black button-down. "I don't know why you asked for my help. I have no idea what businessmen wear to clubs. Maybe a blazer can make this look less casual."

Minhyuk laughs. "It'll do, hyung."

"Right," Hoseok tosses the clothes onto his lap, and then retrieves his spot on the bed, cuddling Minhyuk's pillow, "but no confessing unless you're positive. And I'm begging you, please don't try to seduce him."

"What?" Minhyuk sassily pops out a hip, "I'm sexy."

"Just trust me on this one," Hoseok laughs. Minhyuk tosses a handful of popcorn at him.

It takes longer than expected to decide on how many buttons are appropriate to unbutton before Minhyuk decides on three. Enough to make him seem loose but not like he's only coming to get laid but also like he wouldn't particularly mind getting laid. Hoseok heads back home sometime between eight and nine to make it in time for some drama he's obsessed with, giving Minhyuk enough time to listen to Kihyun's thoroughly organized plan to get CEO Son to invite him along to Shanghai this year. Not that Minhyuk has any interest in helping him. He'd just gotten tired of the text message spam Kihyun attacked him with, and Minhyuk's too kind-hearted to block him.

"You're way too serious about this," Minhyuk tells him. He can hear the sounds of the city through the phone. The last time Minhyuk checked it was already pretty close to ten, but he'd been too busy choosing between shoes to leave by then. He's sure that Kihyun's already on his way by now whilst Minhyuk hops around the house with one, untied boot pulled on his foot, the other in hand. 

"What did you say?" Kihyun asks. "The signal is absolute shit over here."

"I said, you're taking this way too seriously."

"I'm not taking this way too seriously. I'm trying to be prepared."

"Hold on," Minhyuk says, resting his phone to the counter and leaving to set out food for his cat, Jun. Well, the cat. Minhyuk kind of hates his guts—the white-and-cinnamon colored cat he's been stuck with taking care of—but a graphic designer at the company had no one else nice enough to take care of him after she'd gotten pregnant, and of course Minhyuk is always too nice to say no. "Come here, kitty Jun!"

Minhyuk waits, but unsurprisingly, the stupid cat is nowhere in sight. With a sigh, he empties a can of cat food into his bowl. "I'm back," he says into the phone, kneeling to pull on his other boot. "I think CEO Son will invite you to Shanghai, anyway. You're a hard worker."

"That's true."

"You take care of almost everything that has to be done."

"Pretty accurate."

"And you deserve it."

"That's also a fact." 

_"Ya!"_ Minhyuk pushes a hissing Jun off his arm, scowling at the scratch he'd left. "You fucking heathen cat! Not you, Kihyun. I think this cat was sent from hell specifically to torment me."

"Who was sent from hell?"

"Nothing," Minhyuk sighs, "but anyway, there's nothing for you to worry about."

"Unless CEO Son invites you again," his co-worker mutters. "He's like attracted to you or something! I don't understand. You get all the benefits with no work put in. It's so annoying."

Minhyuk feels his cheeks heating, a smile tugging at his lips. "Well, hopefully he is attracted to me."

"What was that?"

"I said, I hope that he's attracted to me." 

"You like CEO Son?" Kihyun questions. Minhyuk frowns at the smile in his voice, amused and teasing. But it's not much of a surprise. The thought itself is quite humiliating. Minhyuk is more than aware Hyunwoo's a little out of his league, and, well, his boss at that. "You do know he —"

Minhyuk bends down to tie his boots, balancing the phone between an ear and shoulder. "Know he, what?"

There's only silence to answer him. Minhyuk looks at the screen of his phone to see that Kihyun and his phone call ended. He must be closer to the club by now. _Which I should be,_ Minhyuk realizes, instantly rushing to tie his shoes and grab the jacket he'd left by the door to take with him. 

If Minhyuk had known the cab ride would take so long, he's sure he would've left earlier. But then again, he probably wouldn't have.

The club is partially reserved for their company. The contrast is a little amusing, the little fleet of casual-wear and sloppy, intoxicated dancing at the entrance, before he's escorted into a different room with loud speakers, colorful lights, and large furniture occupied by his colleagues, laughter rumbling over the bass thumping throughout the room. The high-ranking positions of the company are sat at a table, listening to one of the secretary's animated, probably exaggerated, stories over drinks, laughing and throwing in comments that causes them to laugh once again. 

Minhyuk can instantly spot Hyunwoo, sipping from a glass, silent and softly chuckling here and there when needed, and he feels ridiculous again with how his heart quickens. It's just the way his eyes squint when he laughs, how his black hair is perfectly parted, how his white shirt and blazer looks so clean and so unwrinkled that it's unreal.

Kihyun is seated amongst the group too, distracted, probably mapping out how exactly he's going to break CEO Son away from the crowd to properly persuade him to bring him along to Shanghai this summer. Minhyuk is a little distracted himself, trying to think how he's even going to get himself over there, but then Hyunwoo notices him and his cheeks push at his eyes into a smile. Minhyuk isn't sure that's quite an invitation, yet he's approaching the table, anyway, dragging a bar stool beside Kihyun and bowing as if he belongs there.

"You're late, as per usual," Kihyun comments. It's almost as if he isn't even speaking to him, sipping from a black straw and laughing at something the secretary tells them, yet awaiting for a response.

"Shut up," Minhyuk mutters. "Any luck with the Shanghai business trip?"

"Not exactly. Honestly, I'm a little nervous," Kihyun tells him, self-consciously rubbing at the nape of his neck. "But anyway, I'm looking for the right time."

Minhyuk nods, losing his words of encouragement about how it's only Son Hyunwoo and there's nothing to be nervous about in CEO Son approaching them, gripping onto the back of Minhyuk's bar stool for balance.

"Hi," he greets, smiling softly, and nodding at both him and Kihyun. Minhyuk instantly bows. "It's pretty nice here, isn't it?"

"Oh, definitely, sir," Minhyuk quickly nods, probably like a bobble head. He watches Hyunwoo intently, every little move he makes from the way his fingers run across the back of his bar stool to the way he wipes at the little bead of sweat building at his brow. "Though, the music isn't really fit enough for dancing."

"Then I'll get someone to suggest a new club mix," Hyunwoo offers. Minhyuk beams from ear-to-ear and Kihyun snickers teasingly behind him. "Could I order the two of you a drink? It'll be on me."

"Sure," Kihyun quickly replies. "You know, how about I come with you?"

He's already gripping Hyunwoo by the arm before he really has a chance to reply, dragging the taller boy away to the bar. Minhyuk is sure that's quite a chance he's missed to confess to Hyunwoo, but he forgets it once Kihyun turns to look at him, wiggling his brows, and he's just happy his friend has gained enough confidence to talk to him.

"I'm not too late, am I?" Minhyuk turns at the sound of a voice, automatically smiling at the tall, slender man beside him. His hair is tousled a bit, probably from running, which Minhyuk can tell he's done from the ragged breaths he inhales and exhales. "Fuck, I'm a terrible boyfriend."

"Oh, it's okay," Minhyuk says. "You're not too late."

"Really?"

"Things are just naturally this lifeless, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh," the man softly laughs, "all about maintaining an image, I suppose."

"Until the president gets pissed drunk," Minhyuk tells him. He laughs again, and Minhyuk studies his seemingly way too perfect face. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Chae Hyungwon," he replies, formally, as if he's introducing himself at a job interview. Minhyuk feels bad that it doesn't ring a bell, but he only offers him a smile. "I'm the model for the company. My face is everywhere in your building, it's quite embarrassing."

"Oh, hi!" Minhyuk bows and Hyungwon quickly returns it.

"I'm also —"

"Babe," Hyunwoo smiles from behind Hyungwon, a drink in hand that he sets in front of Minhyuk, "you made it."

"Yeah, sorry," Hyungwon says, a sigh pushing from his lips. "I literally _just_ got back from that photo shoot in Morocco."

"That's okay," he tells him.

Minhyuk watches, horrified, as Hyungwon rests against Hyunwoo's broad chest, dropping his head on his shoulder despite the extra inch he has on his height, and letting Hyunwoo smooth his hand over the back of his head, fingers gently running along the dark hair there. 

Minhyuk feels his stomach twisting, nails absently digging into the meat of his thigh so harshly he's sure it'll ought to leave a bruise with the crescent imprint of his fingernails. He can't believe —  _this._ Whatever it is. Whatever is happening.

"Have I ever introduced you to Hyungwon?" Hyunwoo asks when he's pulled away from him. He smiles at both Minhyuk and Kihyun, as if he's presenting an award. There's a pause, and Minhyuk realizes he's supposed to answer before Kihyun beats him to it.

"No, no you haven't," he says. "But I know he's our company model. Mr. Talk!"

Hyunwoo happily nods. "Mr. Talk is my fiancé too."

His head spins a little, and Minhyuk's kind of glad he's sitting right now, or else he'd somehow manage to entirely deteriorate any more of the dignity he's sure he doesn't have left.

"Fiancé!" Kihyun repeats, stealing a quick glance of Minhyuk before shaking both of the couple's hands. "Congratulations, boss! And you too, Hyungwon-ssi. Really, congratulations."

"Yeah," Minhyuk softly chimes in, offering an artificial smile although he can barely think, barely process words. "Congratulations. To both of you."

"Thank you," Hyunwoo smiles with shining eyes. He pushes Minhyuk's glass closer to him. "Enjoy your drink."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks."

And then they're gone, hands intertwined, Hyungwon leaning into Hyunwoo the way Minhyuk has always dreamed himself to, tugging on the shorter boy's hand the way Minhyuk has always wished to.

"You okay?" Kihyun questions. He rests a small hand to his shoulder and massages him there. Minhyuk doesn't mean to brush him off so quickly. It just reminds him of Hyunwoo. "I'm sorry about that. I was trying to tell you Hyunwoo had a boyfriend — fiancé, apparently."

"I'm fine," Minhyuk says.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." He smiles, wide, hoping that it reaches his eyes. "I just need to go to the washroom really quickly."

Kihyun frowns, but he doesn't bother pushing the subject and lets Minhyuk bolt past him, out of the room, to sulk down a dark hallway. He tugs at the buttons of his shirt, distractedly pushing a hand through his hair until he reaches the unreserved lot of the club.

_You idiot,_ Minhyuk thinks, combing his fingers through his bangs. _What were you thinking?_

He makes his way to the bar, staggering a bit as if he's already had a few drinks, and plops down, propping up an elbow to rest his chin. It feels like just that simple action sucks all the energy from him, almost as much as the thought of Hyunwoo being with Hyungwon. 

And Minhyuk feels like hitting himself, really. He's an idiot. _Such_ an idiot. 

It baffles him why he'd even entertained himself with the thought of Hyunwoo liking him. Minhyuk has never had much luck in the love department, anyway, and it makes him feel like even more of an idiot for believing someone so much better than him and free of flaws would possibly, somehow, have looked at him as if he's all they ever needed too.

It's just — maybe he should've just already known. Of course Son Hyunwoo is engaged. Of course he wouldn't even give someone who's no more than his personal assistant more than one glance. Of course he's with a _model_. Someone as flawless and just as important as him.

Maybe Minhyuk shouldn't have seen all those smiles as just more than Son Hyunwoo being a good person.

He pauses, feeling as if someone is staring at him, and questioningly looks over to a dark-haired man two seats down, makeup smudged, absently chewing on the straw of an empty glass. He instantly looks away once their eyes lock and slowly, Minhyuk turns to his hands. He seems a little young, probably a bit younger than Minhyuk. He can sense it in his chubby cheeks.

Minhyuk shrugs and slips into his thoughts again, fingers distractedly tapping until the burn returns to the side of his face, two palpable holes. He turns again, a little quicker this time, and it's just like a replay as the stranger quickly darts his eyes away, looking around the club as if he hadn't just been staring at him.

"Drink?"

Minhyuk turns to the bartender, smiling softly. He's a little unsure what to reply with. Minhyuk has never really been much of a drinker, or much of a person to hang around club. "Uh, surprise me," he decides. 

"All right then," the bartender smiles.

"And it's on him," Minhyuk adds. The man two seats down pauses at this, questioningly, as if he's deciding whether it's him or someone else who Minhyuk was referring to. Minhyuk offers him an innocent smile. "Well, you were staring at me as if there was something you wanted to say. I thought I'd might as well do you a favor."

He laughs, revealing cute, deep dimples on both of his big cheeks. "Always the pretty ones."

"Pretty?" Minhyuk pouts. "I did not unbutton my shirt this low to be called _pretty_."

"My bad, I didn't know you'd take offense to that," he says, surrendering with the lift of his hands and slipping into the seat next to him. Minhyuk watches the way he crosses a leg over the other, clad in dark, ripped jeans, and tucks a hand under his chin with a smile stretching at his lips. "But, sir, I'd be lying if I said you weren't pretty."

Minhyuk laughs. "Are you even old enough to be inside of this club?"

He quietly gasps with a small hand clapping to his chest in mock offense. "Of course I am."

"And how old would that be?"

"Hm," he licks his lips, a fleeting flick of pink to pink, "however old you want me to be."

"Don't be a little shit."

"Okay then," the man laughs, "I'm twenty-five."

Minhyuk scrutinizes him, his black hair styled upwards, his dark eyes and dimpled cheeks. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"You're definitely lying."

"Fine," he sighs, eyes rolling, "I'm twenty-three. Happy?"

"Hm," Minhyuk tilts his head, eyes squinting, and then smiles at the scowl he's given, "that's better."

There's a glass served to him, something clear and iced with a sliced lime. Minhyuk examines it, and then takes a cautious sip, grimacing at the bitter taste he's met with.

"Cute," the stranger comments, smiling, "and are _you_ old enough to be here?"

"Oh, please, I'm three years older than you," Minhyuk says. The man only lifts his brows, skeptical, before Minhyuk is taking another small sip of his drink. "What brought you here, anyway? Well, you know, besides staring at my chest."

"I just graduated," he tells him. 

"Really? And you came alone?"

"Uh," his tongue flicks at his lips again, "I invited a few friends, but they haven't shown up."

"Wow," Minhyuk scoffs, "shitty friends."

He shrugs, and then smiles, eyes squinting. 

"Well, congratulations, anyway."

"Thank you." He nods at him, smoothing a hand over a single strand of black hair stubbornly dangling over his forehead. "I'm Jooheon, by the way, and also, I wasn't staring at you because of your chest. Although, not going to lie, it does help."

"I'm Minhyuk," he smiles. "And if not my chest, then what?"

Jooheon looks to his lap then, tugging at a string from a rip in his jeans. "You just looked kind of sad. I guess I could've been wrong."

Suddenly, he's returned with the thought of Hyunwoo. His heart sinking into his stomach, the smile on his lips slowly fading into a scowl. He turns away, plucking the useless straw and lime from his drink and downing it all in one gulp, ignoring the burn in his throat and the stinging of his eyes.

"I'm sorry," the man smiles, bashfully, as Minhyuk finishes off his glass. "I can tell you probably don't want to think about it."

"It's really nothing," Minhyuk shrugs, as if Jooheon cares or asked at all. "Just some guy. I've sort of liked him for a while, but I found out he's taken. Engaged, actually."

"Oh, wow. That's even worse than my story." 

Minhyuk only sighs and licks the taste of lime from his lips.

"I'm just trying to get my mind off of it right now," he says to the glass sat in front of him. His eyes trail up to Jooheon, slowly, trying to figure out the look he gives him.

"Well, I think I can help," Jooheon tells him, and Minhyuk doesn't miss the way his eyes lower to his chest before they're boring into his again, lips curving. Minhyuk finds himself smiling too.

 

. . .

 

As soon as Minhyuk manages to get the door of his house open, he's pushed to the wall, their lips coming together messily with Jooheon's small hands gripping at his wrist. Minhyuk hurriedly toes off his boots, kicking Jooheon's shoes side, and then he's on him again, attaching them at the lips. Minhyuk thought to surely be more subtle about this in the cab ride home, but he'd gave in so easily from the moment Jooheon's tongue was in his mouth. He'd felt weightless, drifting. Now, he's far gone.

Jooheon's knee eases Minhyuk's slender thighs apart, fingers quick working along the buttons of his shirt so carelessly Minhyuk's sure he hears a rip along with the plop of buttons hitting the floor. Not that he really cares. Not with the way Jooheon rubs against his crotch and swallows up Minhyuk's unsatisfied moan so easily. Minhyuk hooks two fingers into the belt loops of Jooheon's jeans, pulling his body into him so closely that he wonders why the hell they still have all these fucking clothes on.

The two boys pull away with a string of saliva. Minhyuk sucks in a sharp breath, long fingers hooking on the nape of Jooheon's neck, gentle, but firm, pulling him in for another quick kiss. "I've never really," he kisses him again, breaths heavy, bulge pushing against Jooheon's knee, "I don't — like I'm not used to this."

"Not used to what?" He tickles Minhyuk's sides, kissing his throat when he drops his head back with a laugh. "Not used to sex?"

"No," Minhyuk rolls his eyes, "not used to — this. Having sex with a stranger, I guess. I've tried to be a bit more responsible."

Jooheon just looks at him.

"Well," he sighs, a hand pushing through his hair, "I just haven't brought anyone home before that I've only spoken to for thirty minutes. I guess I'm just trying to ask if you really want this."

He laughs, kissing along Minhyuk's jawline. "Of course I want this," he tells him. Minhyuk cups his jaw in a hand and kisses him, harder than before. "I want you so badly, if that's okay with you."

It's more than okay. Minhyuk shivers at the hands pressed to his waist, pushing him closer into the wall.

"You know what I want?" Minhyuk whispers. Jooheon hums, bumping their foreheads together, looking into his eyes as if they're falling in love. "I want to suck you off, and then I want you to fuck me."

He laughs at this, and Minhyuk laughs, kissing him again. "Okay then," Jooheon says against his lips. "I'll give you what you want."

Minhyuk pulls Jooheon to his room, casually nudging a hissing Jun not-so-nicely out with his foot and shutting the door behind them. He pulls Jooheon against him again, attaching their lips into another kiss that has Jooheon pulling Minhyuk's arms from the sleeves of his shirt and Minhyuk fumbling with the buckle of Jooheon's belt.

"Off," Minhyuk mutters, tugging at the tee shirt the younger boy still has on. Jooheon instantly obliges, pulling the shirt over his head to tousled dark hair and tossing it onto the carpeted floor as Minhyuk finally pulls his belt off. "On the bed."

Jooheon exhales a short laugh. "You're more bossy than you look."

"Bed. Now," Minhyuk demands, smiling.

He's a little sloppy with his fingers unbuttoning Jooheon's jeans, yanking them down from his thick thighs once he's settled on the bed, head propped up with a pillow. Minhyuk presses his mouth to the hard imprint of Jooheon's dick against the fabric of his boxer briefs, smile tugging at his lips from the sharp breath Jooheon exhales.

"Please don't be a tease," he whines.

Minhyuk contemplates not listening to him, wanting to press kisses along Jooheon's thighs and trace his hipbones with his lips, but he decides that he's just too nice and obediently tugs down Jooheon's boxer briefs. His length flops against his belly, curved and sputtering precum, and Minhyuk wastes no time to wrap his lips around him, a hand gripping at the base of his cock as he sucks around his head and dances his tongue along his slit. It's enough for Jooheon's body to quiver, as if he'd been waiting for just that, a groan coming from his mouth and Minhyuk can faintly hear his name falling from Jooheon's lips.

He eases his tongue along a vein, watching Jooheon intently with each flick of his tongue. The way he sucks in a breath and licks at his lips so obscenely that Minhyuk feels a little dizzy, until he's swallowing him whole.

He likes the way Jooheon's pretty lips fall open, eyes fluttered closed and brows furrowed, his fingers pushing into Minhyuk's hair and pulling back his bangs until he's holding the older boy firmly by the crown of his head.

The moans from Jooheon's lips build even more pressure in Minhyuk's dick. They're so beautiful, just like him, from his small, adorable eyes, to his glowing skin. Jooheon's hand tightens onto his hair, guiding each bob of Minhyuk's head with ease until he's hitting the back of his throat. It excites him the way Jooheon's hips shudder, but it's far too distracting. Minhyuk grips him by the waist and forces his hips into place.

"Fuck," Jooheon groans. Minhyuk curls his fingers around his hips, nails absently digging into his pretty skin. "Oh, fuck."

He thrusts a bit into Minhyuk's mouth, sloppily, stuttering more profanities as Minhyuk pushes his hips into the mattress again. There's not much of a size difference between them, but Jooheon is certainly stronger. Minhyuk tries maintaining him as much as he can, head quickly bobbing up and down with Jooheon wiggling so much underneath his hands it nearly drives him insane. 

Minhyuk releases Jooheon with a pop, lips soft along the inside of his thigh as he plants small kisses to the goosebumps on his skin. "You squirm like a teenager."

"Sorry."

He looks up at the younger boy through his eyelashes, smiling at the sheepish tint of pink burning at his cheeks.

"You're so cute," Minhyuk tells him, lips wet. He's sure it's not what Jooheon wants to hear, but the scowl he's given causes him to laugh, anyway. 

"I want to fuck you," Jooheon says through short breaths.

Minhyuk kisses his soft belly, up to his chest and his neck, and then to his lips. "You want to take me from behind?"

Excitement dances in Jooheon's eyes, and he quickly nods causing Minhyuk to laugh. He goes to the drawer beside his bed, pulling out a bottle of lube and a condom that he tosses for Jooheon to catch before quickly stripping himself of his jeans and boxers. Minhyuk watches the way Jooheon scrutinizes his body as he joins him onto the bed again, crawling onto his hands and knees for him.

"This comfortable?" Jooheon asks, easing Minhyuk's legs open a little more. He nods, instantly, rushing with adrenaline at the pop of the bottle, wanting so badly for Jooheon to just touch him. He's a little too slow and careful for Minhyuk's needs, but he appreciates the gentle, butterfly kisses along his spine and the first lubed finger pushed inside of him so steadily with care, almost as if he's too afraid of hurting him. Though, Minhyuk doesn't entirely care about that right now. He just wants to be fucked.

He presses his ass into him, whining softly, and it's enough for Jooheon to prep him a little quicker, moving his finger at a faster pace before hesitantly adding a second, and then a third. Each finger excites Minhyuk a little more, making him more impatient. He tries containing himself, focusing on his breathing, but it's no use. Minhyuk only ends up falling apart and pushing his unattended dick into the mattress for some sort of friction and pushing himself back into Jooheon's fingers, breaths heavy at the pleasure he's met with. Too little and not enough.

"I'm not," Minhyuk says, sucking in a sharp breath. "I need."

Jooheon gets it without Minhyuk having to say anymore words, thankfully, since Minhyuk's unsure if there's anything beyond that he could manage to utter, and retrieves the condom, ripping it open with his teeth and carelessly spitting the metallic wrapper somewhere. He rolls it onto himself as quickly as he can, and then gently positions Minhyuk in a place that's more comfortable for the both of them, lifting the older boy's hips with his hands resting on his waist. Minhyuk honestly thinks any position would be comfortable for him with Jooheon touching him and his dick at his entrance, there, but barely, lining up with him carefully. 

His thrust is a little sudden, and Minhyuk screams, hands gripping onto the sheets of his bed. "I'm good," he breathes as Jooheon pauses. "Move, please."

Silently, he obliges, and Minhyuk tries containing himself with Jooheon's hand to his cheek, pushing himself back into him. He seems a little too hesitant to quicken his pace at first, but Minhyuk encourages him, bucking his ass back into him too impatiently, begging like a child. He's sure he'll feel a bit embarrassed about this later, but he doesn't care with the way Jooheon stretches him so nicely, the addicting pressure building that he wants — needs — _so_ much more of.

They settle with a rhythm of meeting each other halfway, Minhyuk eagerly rolling his ass back onto Jooheon's hips snapping into him. His fingers are wrapped around his hips snugly, fingernails probably leaving bruises there. Minhyuk is relieved he doesn't have to worry about hiding that in the morning. He wishes he'd left a few marks on Jooheon himself before remembering he's just _someone._ A stranger. 

"So good," Jooheon gasps, groaning when Minhyuk's pushing himself against his hips once again. "You feel so good. So fucking nice."

A moan pushes from Minhyuk's lips. He loves the sound of his voice, so wrecked, so breathless. How sexy Jooheon sounds when he swears. His dick slaps between his belly and the mattress with Jooheon thrusting into him, and he wants to tell Jooheon how good he feels inside of him, but instead his mouth only opens with a groan.

"Fuck," Jooheon breathes. "Minhyuk-ssi, I'm sorry, but — ugh, _Minhyuk-ssi."_

"Oh, shit." Minhyuk drops his head in between his arms, eyes fluttering closed. "Don't say my name like that."

"Sorry," he mutters, gasping again, "I'm so close."

Minhyuk frowns. "Already? Not yet!"

"I —" With that, Jooheon lets out a low groan, burying himself inside of Minhyuk with one last thrust and collapsing onto his back.

Minhyuk stays silent as Jooheon just lies there, his breath hot against his neck as he breathes heavily, each inhale and exhale deep and ragged until Minhyuk finally rolls him off onto the mattress.

"Sorry," Jooheon quickly apologizes, still out of breath. "I'm terrible. I'm really sorry."

"You're not terrible," Minhyuk laughs. He pinches Jooheon's flushed, chubby cheek. "Come here."

Obediently, the younger boy moves closer to him, letting Minhyuk take him by the hand and guide his palm around his dick. Jooheon strokes him gently, before slicking his hand with saliva and returning warmth at the base of Minhyuk's cock with a jerk that causes his breath to hitch. Naturally, Minhyuk sloppily bucks into him, breath easily picking up once again with the wet, tightness around him, tugging, pulling. 

_"Ah,"_ Minhyuk groans as Jooheon kisses his jaw, lightly, pumping Minhyuk's dick until the older boy is panting into his neck and, with a loud moan, spilling into his palm.

Minhyuk pulls him in for a kiss without having to really think of it, his palm flattening over Jooheon's cheeks and guiding him towards his lips so easily as if they're familiar with each other's touches. Jooheon smiles against his mouth, and then, "Minhyuk-ssi?"

"Yeah?"

"Um," he says, "my hand?"

"Oh," Minhyuk laughs. "Hold on."

He finds a towel for Jooheon to clean his hand with, and then slips on an oversized tee shirt and flannel pajama pants for bed. Minhyuk's not even sure what time it is. Not that it really matters. It's Saturday night, or maybe now it's even Sunday morning. Minhyuk makes a mental note to look at the time, but much like any other thing he makes a mental note of, it's instantly pushed to the back of his mind, and then slipped away entirely when he steps into his bedroom and Jooheon is in his ripped jeans again, finding his wrinkled tee shirt on the floor.

"Are you leaving?" Minhyuk asks.

He shrugs. "I didn't think you'd want me staying around."

"The temperature is pretty low tonight," Minhyuk quickly tells him, "and it's really dark outside. I don't know how many drinks you've had, but I don't want you wandering off somewhere you're unfamiliar with."

"Oh," Jooheon laughs, "don't worry about me. I only had two drinks."

"Just stay until the sun comes up," he says before quickly adding, "just so I won't feel guilty sending you off."

"Um, okay then."

Minhyuk finds some sweatpants for Jooheon to wear and remakes his bed so that the sheets are neater—he wants Jooheon to sleep as comfortably as he can—before slipping underneath the comforter with him. It feels a little awkward now that the two boys are off their high and met with the fact they're complete strangers to each other, sleeping in the same bed. Minhyuk admits he's never been that thoughtful sleeping with someone, ever, but it's only ever been as thoughtless to the extent of him actually having known the guy for a while. Be it a week, or five days. The furthest he's gone is sleeping with some idiot across the hallway in his dormitory his first year of University, and even then he'd spoken to him from time-to-time, becoming familiar with him. Even if their previous encounters were primarily Minhyuk failing to avoid him.

Minhyuk tries clearing his mind and smiles at Jooheon snuggling into his pillows all the way on the other side of the bed, his hair messy on his head and the rosy tint on his lips faded. 

"Um, good night," Minhyuk says, hoping it doesn't sound awkward, but he's sure it does just because he doesn't want it to.

Jooheon smiles, tiredly, his eyes already shut. "Goodnight, Minhyuk-ssi."

 

. . .

 

For a fleeting moment, Minhyuk forgets that he isn't sleeping alone. His eyes open to the sunlight bright through the blinds of his windows, bleeding an orange light into the room with a soft yawn escaping his lips, and it's not until he nearly reaches up to stretch his arms he realizes the weight pressed into him. A warmth that's unfamiliar, and soft, deep breaths against his cheek. Minhyuk wonders if Jooheon had cuddled into him unknowingly, or pressed himself into Minhyuk's side once he'd fallen asleep, not expecting the older boy to notice. But then Minhyuk realizes somewhere through the night he'd used the covers to wrap himself into a burrito, leaving Jooheon bare and helplessly curled against him. 

Quickly, Minhyuk untangles himself from the comforter and covers Jooheon's body. He stirs slightly, rolling onto his back with furrowed eyebrows as Minhyuk tucks him warmly into the cover, and then slowly, settles back into the comforter, face relaxing and breaths slow. Minhyuk decides that he's comfortable enough to leave him to rest.

He's not really used to cooking for someone besides himself, or well, cooking at all, really. Minhyuk has been mostly living off instant ramen, soup, and frozen dinners since he'd started living on his own, and whatever else he puts together in the blur of the moment along with the occasional take-out and delivery pizzas. But Minhyuk's sure that Jooheon will be hungry once he wakes up, and he'll feel too bad sending him off without eating anything. After cleaning out Jun's litter box and setting out some more food for him, he goes to raid his kitchen, just deciding on preparing some rice and soup and the kimchi his mom dropped off the last time she'd passed through Seoul, scolding Minhyuk about his food choices, and then turns on his coffeemaker. 

Minhyuk isn't sure how Jooheon likes his tea or his coffee, but he's sure it's more likely for him to make coffee Jooheon doesn't like than tea. He sets a kettle on the stove for Jooheon and leans against the counter as he waits, humming quietly to himself until he's filled two mugs of green tea and coffee and setting the table for them. It's quite small, meant more for making his kitchen look less empty than actually for eating on. Minhyuk's not ever sure he's eaten on it, actually. He usually has his meals on his bed, or whenever Hoseok's over, they sit on the floor, sorting out whatever Minhyuk managed to cook with a microwave on his living room coffee table. He's moved the welting flowers from the table and the set of candles he's never lit before, and decides his table looks comfortable and home-y enough before returning back to his room.

Jooheon is still asleep, his arm now dangling over the side of the bed. He looks so cute this way, soft and calm, with some of his hair now flopped over his forehead. Minhyuk finds his fingertips inching towards it, itching to run them through the dark strands, but he stops himself and shakes Jooheon by the shoulder instead.

All he receives is a quiet groan. Jooheon scrunches his face, brows furrowing, before he's rolling onto his side and stubbornly curling up against the covers he finds there, an arm draping over his eyes to shield him from the sunlight.

"Jooheon-ssi," Minhyuk softly calls, rubbing his back. Again, Jooheon groans. "I made food."

It's enough to wake him up. Minhyuk watches, satisfied, as he stretches his arms and legs, lips falling open to a yawn before he's rolling onto his back. "Oh," he blinks, squinting at Minhyuk through droopy eyelids as if he's looking into the sun, "hi."

Minhyuk laughs. "Um, hi."

He sits up, slowly, rubbing two fist over his eyes and pushing a hand at his messy hair. "What time is it?"

"One o'clock?" Minhyuk says. "We slept in pretty late, I guess. But, you know, waking up before twelve is really dangerous."

"There's no way to argue against that," he quietly laughs, absently scratching at his belly through his tee shirt with a yawn. "Uh, you said something about food?"

"Oh, yeah. Come on, it's in the kitchen."

The two boys sit across from each other. Minhyuk has his legs pulled into the seat and crossed, doodling on a napkin and feeding himself spoonfuls of steamed rice, with Jooheon sat proper and drinking his soup with short, happy slurps.

"Sorry if it's a little too salty," Minhyuk tells him. "The things I'm actually good at cooking is very limited, and it's an honest blessing if these few things actually come out untainted."

Jooheon laughs at this. "No, it's perfect," he says.

Minhyuk can't help the smile tugging at his lips. He hides it behind the palm of his hand, propping an elbow on the table.

"You like to draw?" Jooheon nods to the napkin.

"A little. But it's only for fun."

"What do you do then?"

"I work for a business as a personal assistant," Minhyuk says, sighing. "Fun stuff."

"You sound like you hate it."

"Well, I don't hate it. I just never expected myself working as a personal assistant." He sips from his coffee mug, licking the bitter taste from his lips. "I usually like to think about things in present tense, but being twenty-six and a shitty personal assistant makes me wonder if I should start thinking about my future, and that's something I usually avoid thinking about. So, I guess sometimes the job can bum me out a bit."

"Anything that involves sitting at a desk all day would definitely piss me off," Jooheon says with a shake of his head. "I like talking. I want a job where I can interact with a lot of people."

"You do get to interact with people as a personal assistant," Minhyuk tells him. "Internationally too. Lots of old businessmen. Very arousing."

"Oh," Jooheon chuckles, picking up chopsticks and his small bowl of kimchi, "I bet. Old businessmen are very arousing."

"Definitely. Rich, snobby, wrinkly. Perfectly daddy material."

Jooheon laughs in his palm, nodding. "Definitely."

Minhyuk scowls at the sight of Jun approaching them, probably triggered by Jooheon's laughter and prepared to bring any sort of happiness in the house to an end. He walks, slow, as always, even though he's not even fat or old, before walking towards Jooheon and rubbing his face against his leg.

Jooheon smiles. "I think your cat likes me."

"No way. He doesn't like anyone." Minhyuk thinks to tell him of the first time Jun had met Hoseok and scratched him to oblivion, but he's distracted by what the cat has become, suddenly calm and purring. As Jun's designated owner, Minhyuk is rather offended. The only sounds Minhyuk has ever heard from Jun is hissing and screaming when he's simply just in his sight or accidentally steps on his paw. "This is unbelievable. What are you? What have you done to this cat?"

"What?" he laughs. "Your cat is sweet."

"My cat worships the devil." Jooheon laughs again as Jun comfortably curls against his socked foot to rest. "There's no way my cat is this content."

Jooheon shrugs. "I can't help that everyone loves me."

"Oh, whatever," Minhyuk rolls his eyes, smiling at the way Jooheon looks at him in mock offense from across the table. "You're only _okay_."

"Only okay? There must be at least something I've done right. You woke me up with food. That's the best way to wake anyone up."

"Can't argue with that."

"It either means a) you're falling madly in love with me, or b) I only have a few seconds until you confess that you just lured me in your home to keep me hostage and force feed me salty soup."

Minhyuk laughs. "What a genius. You even discovered my salty soup fetish."

"I have to admit, you scream salty soup fetish," Jooheon says. "Although I can't say I was expecting the daddy kink."

"I'm full of surprises," Minhyuk smiles, and Jooheon's laughing again before returning to his food and Minhyuk returning to doodling on a napkin. 

They sit in a comfortable silence. Minhyuk absently humming a soft tune into his mug and Jooheon eagerly finishing off the food Minhyuk prepared. He wonders if someone peeked into this scene, they'd think it looked natural. If they'd look like a little family with Jun sleeping soundly against Jooheon's foot and the two of them wordlessly enjoying the other's company. But it's a stupid thought. One that Minhyuk pushes away because he doesn't know Jooheon. Not really. He's just someone.

"Hey," the older boy calls. Jooheon lifts his brows, looking up at him. "I don't really know how sleeping with strangers works, but, um, would it be weird to ask if we could keep in touch?"

"Keep in touch?" Jooheon slowly repeats, as if the words are foreign. 

"I don't know," Minhyuk says. He can feel his cheeks heating, the idea suddenly seeming much sillier than he thought in his head. _It was just a shag, Minhyuk. Just a shag._ "I mean, you can forget I asked. I just like talking to you. If you don't want to —"

"No," he quickly interrupts, shaking his head.

"No, you don't want to keep in touch?"

"No," Jooheon shakes his head again, "I like talking to you too. I want to talk to you again."

A sigh of relief. Minhyuk smiles, laughing softly. "Okay, well, should we exchange numbers then?" 

Jooheon makes a contact for himself in Minhyuk's phone and Minhyuk writes his number on a clean napkin, since Jooheon's phone is dead. He smiles once Minhyuk slides the napkin across the table, their fingers brushing, before running his eyes over the numbers he had written beneath his name.

"Call me, okay?" Minhyuk says. "I'm a bit busy with my sexy businessmen in the mornings during weekdays, but any time usually after nine PM is good. Also, my lunch break is at twelve."

"I won't remember any of that," Jooheon laughs. Minhyuk pulls the napkin towards again him and quickly jots down the times, sliding it back across the table for the younger boy to read. "Okay, I'll call you, or you call me. I don't really do anything. I'm free all the time."

"All the time? You don't have a job?"

Jooheon looks at him, and then laughs, folding Minhyuk's number into a square. "It was a joke. I don't work that many hours, since I just graduated."

"Oh, yeah, you did tell me that last night." He looks back to his napkin, drawing the logo from Jooheon's tee shirt. "What was your major, anyway?"

"Music composition."

Minhyuk grins. "That's so cool!"

"Really?" Jooheon laughs, picking up his bowl of soup and slurping it all down. "My family think it's a huge waste of time."

"Don't worry, they'll eventually get over it. You don't want to end up as a shitty personal assistant in the next three years, do you?"

"Hm, I'm not going to lie. Old businessmen are a bit hard to resist." He wipes his mouth on the back of his wrist and presses two hands to the table, pushing his chair back. "I guess I should get going now."

"Oh," Minhyuk frowns, and then smiles, "yeah."

He lets Jooheon keep the sweatpants and walks him down to the bus stop, because he'd feel too bad if he'd just let him find it on his own even if it's really not much trouble getting to the bus stop from Minhyuk's house. Actually, if you know how to read, then you'll surely get there. But Minhyuk is an idiot who likes people too much, and besides, it's not like Jooheon cares that much when Minhyuk offers to walk with him down the street anyway.

"Thanks for being so nice to me, you know," the younger boy tells him, sheepishly darting his eyes away to smile at his feet. "Stop me if this gets cringey, but don't worry about that guy, yeah? You're really cute and funny, and I've never met anyone as caring as you —"

"Is it too early to stop you?" Minhyuk asks with a blush burning at his cheeks. 

"Listen to me," he laughs. "I guess I'm just trying to tell you that it doesn't suck for you that he's engaged. It sucks for that guy, because he's not going to be able to wake up to your hospitality and salty soup every morning."

"I'm sure the latter doesn't suck for him too much, you know. A large intake of sodium can have some dangerous effects on your life."

Jooheon groans, but there's still a smile on his lips as he firmly grips Minhyuk by the shoulders. "Do your comments ever stop?"

"Not really," he lightly pushes Jooheon off him as the bus rolls in, "but you can call me and see."

"I'll have to do that then." They wave to each other and Minhyuk waits until Jooheon disappears up the steps to head back to his house, footsteps slow before the cool air sweeps at his hair and he's hurrying off down the street with his arms wrapped around himself.

 

. . .

 

The worst thing about having a crush on your boss is that when you find out he's engaged, he's, in fact, still your boss. Minhyuk wakes up Monday morning with a text from Kihyun, telling him to stop by Starbucks on the way for Hyunwoo and to order a coffee for him too. _I'll pay you back!_ Kihyun promises at the end of the text, but Minhyuk knows he probably won't. His colleague is pretty much swimming in Starbucks debt ever since Minhyuk started working here, but Minhyuk is far too nice, always taking into consideration that Kihyun is his sunbae and takes care of pretty much all the work Hyunwoo hands over to him. And if Minhyuk's going to be honest, Kihyun is small, but rather intimidating.

His shoulders sulk stepping into the building, eyes taking in the posters that make up nearly every room, every hallway, of that _stupid_ model that Minhyuk can now match a name to the face of. The model smiles widely, displaying their newest phone model in his hand, and even if it's obvious he's been worked a bit on in Photoshop now that Minhyuk has actually met him, it's annoying how even then he was perfect. Perfect for CEO Son. Minhyuk sighs.

"Finally, you're here," Kihyun greets when the elevator doors slide open to Minhyuk, struggling to balance three orders on a tray of cup holders. "You're never on time."

"What?" Minhyuk frowns as Kihyun takes two drinks, Hyunwoo's and his own, and follows after him. "I'm fifteen minutes early."

"That's still not on time," he retorts. "Besides, that wasn't even what I meant. Your annoying friend decided to come only to harass me. I was _this_ close to scratching my eyes out."

"It wouldn't matter, Kihyun-ah," Hoseok says, suddenly joining the two of them as they pass by a life-sized Hyungwon standee. "I'd still find you beautiful."

Kihyun scowls. "Don't call me Kihyun-ah. For the last time, we're not close, and we will _never_ be close."

"That's fine, play hard to get." Hoseok smiles at him, apparently the sight revolting enough for Kihyun to gag. "Love is more worthwhile when it's a challenge." 

"Oh, please, in your dreams, Shin," Kihyun sighs. With that, he speeds off to Hyunwoo's office, shaking his head and murmuring something about the indecency of humans these days. Hoseok happily smiles after him, a content sigh falling from his lips before he picks up the coffee Minhyuk had gotten from himself and takes a swig.

_"Ack,"_ he wrinkles his nose in disgust, "this is terrible."

"Because it isn't for you." Minhyuk snatches his coffee back. "Come, we're going to my office before Kihyun files a restraining order against you."

"Don't worry about it. He's secretly in love with me," Hoseok tells him, confidently. 

Minhyuk laughs. "How were you the one telling me not to be so sure Hyunwoo likes me back?"

"Oh," Hoseok says. He grips Minhyuk by the elbow, quickly pulling his friend aside and dropping his voice to a whisper. "Kihyun told me about what happened Friday night. The model and everything, and then you disappearing."

"Yeah," an artificial smile tugging at his lips, he shrugs, "what about it?"

"Are you okay?" Hoseok asks. Minhyuk simply nods, smiling, and then turns to leave. Hoseok grips him by the hands and pulls his friend into him again, firmly resting his hands on Minhyuk's arms. "You're my best friend, Hyuk-ah. You don't have to pretend in front of me."

"I know that, and honestly, I feel like shit, okay? But this is not the time nor place to talk about that." He pushes his lips into a smile again, but it's more genuine, less forced. Hoseok is really Minhyuk's only friend, and he thinks he's pretty lucky just to have one person close to him, always caring about him and his well-being. "Now, let's go to my office. Surprisingly, I actually plan to do some work today."

Hoseok plops onto his desk as soon as they enter, sending nearly half of the papers Kihyun hasn't got around to slipping onto the floor. Minhyuk is too lazy to pick them up, even though he knows that whenever Kihyun manages to come around to them, he'll scold Minhyuk about not being properly organized until he moves some stuff around to make it look as if he's taking Kihyun's nagging into consideration. Maybe Minhyuk isn't _that_ organized, but he is a hard worker. He is. But working hard at something he has no desire for? That's where things get complicated.

"I don't see why you stay working at this place, anyway," Hoseok mutters, dangling one leg from the desk with the other tucked under his thigh. "You _hate_ it."

"I don't hate it."

"You hate it," he disagrees, laughing slightly. "You've been miserable for all this time."

"I wouldn't say miserable," Minhyuk calmly argues. "Maybe it's not what I'm interested in, but I stay around because —"

"You're madly in love with Son Hyunwoo."

Minhyuk smacks his thigh causing his hyung to yelp. "Don't say that so loudly! Are you crazy?"

"I'm not the one who's in love with my boss," Hoseok sings, but quietly, so it's enough for Minhyuk to not hit him again. "Maybe you should try to find another job. Fill out some applications around. Have you been drawing any time soon?"

"No," Minhyuk lies.

"You need to start drawing again."

"I don't have any time."  Minhyuk opens his laptop and turns it on. "And, you know, if I left here, you'd miss your precious Kihyunie too much."

"My boyfriend," Hoseok happily sighs. Minhyuk laughs loudly, shaking his head at his hyung. "Don't worry about me, though. Me and my lover will make it through. You, Lee Minhyuk, need to worry about yourself."

"I slept with someone Friday night," Minhyuk says, randomly. 

Hoseok pauses, and then scoots away from the edge of his desk with more papers flying to the floor for Minhyuk to not worry about. "And you're just _now_ telling me? I need details! You should've called me directly after you guys finished! That's not fair. I'm excluded from everything you do."

"You're not excluded from everything I do, hyung," Minhyuk pouts, holding his hand. "And there's not a lot of details to give. I met him at the club we went to, and then I took him home with me."

"You little rabbits frolicked around safely, right?"

Minhyuk chuckles. "Yeah, of course, hyung. I'm not sixteen."

"Well, you don't have an older brother to ask older brother questions," Hoseok says in his defense. "Was he hot?"

"Um, he was more cute than hot." He smiles to himself, thinking of Jooheon's cute, dimpled smile. His stomach twists. "He was like three years younger than me. He'd just graduated from university."

"This is not what I meant by details," Hoseok laughs.

"He gave me his number."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Minhyuk smiles again, placing two hands at the warmth in his cheeks as Hoseok enthusiastically nudges him with his elbow.

"My little brother is getting it in!"

_"Uh."_

Minhyuk looks up, wide-eyed, at the sight of CEO Son awkwardly standing in the entrance of his office. Instantly, he jumps to his feet, bowing. "I'm _so_ sorry, CEO Son! He's just leaving!"

"It's okay," Hyunwoo smiles, clasping his hands together. "I'm not angry. Your friend can stay."

Minhyuk slowly lowers himself to his seat and steals the chance of Hyunwoo glancing at the papers scattered onto the floor to glare at Hoseok.

"Um, I just came to check up on you," Hyunwoo says.

"Oh." Minhyuk can feel his face heating up, and he hates that it makes him feel special when _just checking up on him_ means nothing that Minhyuk wishes it did. 

"You left sort of suddenly Friday night," his boss slowly explains. "Kihyun said you weren't feeling well, and that you went to go to the bathroom. But you never came back. I wasn't expecting you to show up to work this morning."

"Don't worry about me, CEO Son. I'm fine, really." Minhyuk forces a smile, nervously tugging at the cuffs of his blazer. "Thank you for checking up on me."

"You're welcome," he nods, and then nods to Hoseok, smiling. "Uh, not to sound like an asshole, but clean up a little? I don't want the president to come in here and be mean to you."

"Okay, sir! I'm right on it."

"Good." Minhyuk scrambles to the floor as his boss turns to leave. But then Hyunwoo pauses, scrutinizing Minhyuk's small office, without a door and entirely see-through. "I'll have to get you a new office, yeah?"

Minhyuk slowly looks up at him, brows furrowed. "For what, sir?"

"So you can talk about frolicking around like rabbits without anyone hearing you," he replies. Minhyuk freezes on his hands and knees and Hyunwoo chuckles, satisfied with his joke, alongside Hoseok bursting into laughter. "At least you had a good Friday night. See you around."

With that he leaves. Minhyuk groans, stacking the papers from the floor and narrowing his eyes at a laughing Hoseok as he brings it back to his desk.

"If you're staying around here, then you're helping me clean," Minhyuk sasses. With a playful eye roll, his friend kneels down with him, chuckling slightly as they gather up the papers together.

 

. . . 

 

Nighttime, Minhyuk towels at his hair after a long shower, curling onto his bed across from the TV with a yawn. The day felt too long, much like any other weekday, but worse. Minhyuk's just happy he had Hoseok to be there to entertain him, distract him from the inevitable sadness that washed over him as soon as they parted ways. His hyung had offered to stay around to be with him, but Minhyuk didn't want to take up any more of his time. He knows Hoseok would refuse to leave his side and end up sleeping over. Minhyuk would just feel too guilty.

Besides, he's sure he needs this. To be alone. Minhyuk usually gets his energy from being around people, but he hates being mopey around others. He thinks to try comforting himself until tomorrow, when he knows he'll arrive to work with his friend there to comfort him and to beg Kihyun to go out with him.

Minhyuk stares at his phone a little, turning it off and back on, before giving in and ringing Jooheon.

He worries a little that the number Jooheon gave him is fake. That Jooheon didn't actually like him, but felt too bad turning him down. Or that maybe he did give him the right number, and then once he'd gotten off the bus home, he realized that he didn't actually like him. Minhyuk contemplates just hanging up, but then, on the last ring, Jooheon answers.

"Hello?" Minhyuk says, because Jooheon doesn't say anything. There's only movement and a low, imperceptible conversation before Jooheon's softly whining about something. "Um, hello?"

"Hi," Jooheon quickly replies. There's footsteps on the other side of the phone, and then a door closing, muffling the voices entirely. "Sorry. Hi, Minhyuk-ssi."

"You're not busy are you? I can call at a different time."

"Oh, no," he says. "Just — somewhere? I thought I was supposed to call you."

"I hope it's not a problem."

"Of course not." Although it sort of seems like one. Minhyuk curses himself for becoming so fucking attached to people so easily. Suddenly, he just wants to hang up and hide in the covers of his bed, maybe never come out again. "Anyway, what are you up to? Old businessmen?"

"My _whole_ entire day," Minhyuk sighs, smiling. "I want to go to sleep, but I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

Minhyuk shrugs before realizing Jooheon can't see him. "Uh," he says, "I don't know. I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess."

"Oh." He can hear Jooheon smiling through the phone. "I wanted to hear your voice too. Just to see if Friday was real. But —"

A door opens on the other side of the phone. "What are you doing in here?" someone says. A male voice. 

"I'm on the phone," Jooheon whines. It's almost impressive how childish he sounds. "Just give me thirty minutes."

"Jooheon-ah —"

_"Please!_  I'm talking to one of my professors about my exam scores! Just give me thirty minutes!"

"Don't lie to me —"

"I'm not lying!"

"Your brother didn't get to where he is now by talking to boys every night and lying about it —"

"Oh my, God, I'm hanging up!" he huffs. The door closes again, shutting out whatever else the someone has to say about Jooheon's brother also not being as disrespectful as him, and Minhyuk can hear the younger boy moving closer to the phone again, sighing. "Sorry, Minhyuk-ssi, I put you on mute. I have to go now."

"Um, okay."

"I'm really sorry! I wanted to talk to you, but something suddenly came up," Jooheon says, every syllable rushed and meshing together as if it's one word. Minhyuk has trouble even understanding him. "I'll call you later, but at a better time. Goodbye!"

He nearly says goodbye, but pauses, looking at the screen of his phone and seeing that he'd already hung up on him. 

 

. . . 

 

Minhyuk sees Jooheon again in the café of a bookstore. It takes a few glances for Minhyuk to recognize him, legs crossed as he scrolls through his laptop, smoothie in hand. They haven't seen each other in weeks, and he looks so different from how Minhyuk remembers him. Now bare-faced, his hair lying on his forehead, wavy from underneath a black beanie, wearing a black sweatshirt that he stuffs a hand in every time he sets down his smoothie. From the looks of it, he's by himself. Minhyuk watches him for a few minutes in a non-creepy, stalkerish way, just in case it isn't him, before reassuring himself that it is and reluctantly walks to the table.

"Minhyuk-ssi?" Jooheon asks, gaping at the sight of him, which is as much confirmation as he needs.

"Hi," Minhyuk smiles. He plops into the seat across from Jooheon without thinking to ask if it's taken. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard this is the only place selling smoothies in March," the younger boy says, lifting the cup to him. "This is a good fucking smoothie."

"You should buy me one."

"Honestly, I don't feel like getting up." Minhyuk pouts, and as if to fix this, Jooheon holds out the cup for Minhyuk to have a taste. "How have you been, though? And your cat?"

"Um, I've been okay, and Jun is still of satanic descendant."

Jooheon laughs. "He probably just misses me."

"You can tell yourself that."

"I should come back over sometime," he says, smiling. He places his small hands on the table, and Minhyuk instantly scoots his chair a little closer, stupidly thinking that Jooheon will reach over and hold his hands. "I'd like for you to cook some more for me."

"You mean, get take-out? I've been living off microwaveable dinners for the past few weeks. I refuse to go near the stove."

"Stay away from the salt too," Jooheon adds. They laugh, just as a short boy awkwardly approaches their table, a stack of books under his arm and a steaming cup of coffee held in his hand. Minhyuk can sense he's a student pretty easily. The sweater that's way too big for him with floppy sleeves and Converse shoes, an earphone in one ear with the other left dangling, a thick backpack hanging off one shoulder, half-zipped with large textbooks. "Oh, Changkyunie, I thought you'd take longer."

"Sorry," Minhyuk apologizes, bowing and finding another seat to pull up to the table. 

The boy silently bows and retrieves the seat from across Jooheon, dropping his armful of computer science books onto the table.

"This is Minhyuk," Jooheon happily tells him. "And Minhyuk-ssi, this is Changkyun. My best friend."

Minhyuk waves. "Hello."

"Hi," the best friend softly smiles and takes a sip from his cup of coffee. 

"Are you both the same age?" Minhyuk asks, to get a conversation going.

"We're in the same grade," Jooheon tells him. 

Minhyuk is a little surprised. Not that he thinks Jooheon looks any older than Changkyun. He just seems so much like a student. "Oh," Minhyuk says, "so you graduated with Jooheon?"

Changkyun furrows his eyebrows at this, seemingly confused with the question, so Jooheon answers for him. "Yes, we graduated together." 

Before Minhyuk can ask any more questions, Jooheon hands him the rest of his smoothie and jumps to his feet, closing his laptop.

"Well, it was good seeing you," he says with a smile. There's a backpack on the floor that he picks up, zipping away his laptop. "But me and Changkyun have to go now."

"And do what?" Changkyun asks.

Jooheon shoots him a glare. "You know," is as far as he explains it, swinging the strap of his backpack on only one shoulder. "I'll see you around, okay, Minhyuk-ssi? I know I've said like twice I'd call you and I haven't, but I promise to call soon, and then we can talk about me coming over."

"For take-out," Minhyuk reminds him.

"For take-out," Jooheon confirms, laughing beautifully. "Kiss Jun for me?"

"Not going to happen," Minhyuk says, "but I'll tell him you said hello."

"Good enough." Jooheon smiles, and then with a wave from him and his friend, they're walking off.

Minhyuk watches them until they disappear from the windows of the bookstore, whispering and playfully shoving each other like little kids, before trailing his eyes to the small cup in his hand. His finger traces over the letters of Jooheon's name, slowly, as if he's trying to remember each letter, and with a long sigh, Minhyuk takes a sip.

 

. . .

 

When the office building seems anything besides dead, it's much more than an inkling that something is wrong. There's a man at the entrance of the company, angrily swearing at someone on the phone and lighting a cigarette beside a rather discernible no smoking sign, and once Minhyuk manages to get through the door holding his breath, a woman shoves past him, sobbing and muttering an apology. Minhyuk doesn't have the chance to ask her what's wrong before she's sprinting out. With a few glances behind himself, Minhyuk continues towards the elevator, balancing three coffee orders of himself, Kihyun, and Hyunwoo.

Once he makes it to the floor of his office, it's even worse. There's obstreperous workers and boxes scattered everywhere. Swearing into phones, swearing at other people, or crying. Minhyuk awkwardly walks along the hallway, wide-eyed, until Kihyun's joining his side with an unfittingly wide grin on his face. Possibly the happiest Minhyuk has ever seen him.

"Hi there," Kihyun greets, humming something familiar. He takes his designated coffee from Minhyuk's tray of cup holders and nods at him. "Thanks a lot."

Minhyuk has a lot of questions. First, he decides to begin with the most obvious. "What the hell is going on?"

"Oh," his co-worker says, smiling around at the fit of anger and dismal surrounding them, "CEO Son let off a _shitload_ of people today."

"Let off?" Minhyuk repeats, stomach churning. "Like, as in past tense?"

"Well, since you just got here it may or may not be in past tense," Kihyun replies.

A lump forms in Minhyuk's throat. 

"The business trip to Shanghai seems even more in my reach than it did before," he continues, smiling widely as he takes a sip from his coffee. "I might even steal your job!"

"What's so ideal about that?"

"You mean, besides everything?" Minhyuk pouts, and instantly, Kihyun's face softens. "What I really wanted to tell you is that you should try to go talk to CEO Son and save your job. Okay?"

Minhyuk sucks in a breath. "Okay."

"I'll set your coffee on your desk," Kihyun offers, lifting the Starbucks cup from the tray of cup holders. "Go take CEO Son's coffee to him, and work your magic. If you really want to stay here."

With a nod and Kihyun's small hand sympathetically patting his back, Minhyuk rushes off towards Hyunwoo's office, heart wildly thumping behind his chest. Minhyuk has been rather careful avoiding going to Hyunwoo's office, just because it feels so personal and the simple space is so unreasonably large that it gives Minhyuk anxiety. But there's no way Minhyuk's contract can be terminated. Not now, anyway.

Maybe Minhyuk hasn't been that good of a personal assistant. Fine, maybe Minhyuk has been absolutely terrible as a personal assistant, and maybe this job was nowhere near what he'd saw himself doing eight years ago as a daydreaming art major. But it doesn't pay poorly and, well, he's not even sure what there's left for him if he's let off from the company. What else would he do? Where else would he go? Minhyuk's not even sure what he's interested in enough to move on from here.

The door of CEO Son's office is opened, which Minhyuk doesn't expect after he'd upset so many people. From Minhyuk's view, it doesn't seem like anyone is occupying the large space at all. But that wouldn't be practically abnormal. If Hyunwoo's at the company, he's usually nowhere to be found.

"Um," Minhyuk says, voice small, "CEO Son?"

"I'm _busy_ right now." Minhyuk is a little taken aback, until he notices Hyunwoo's desk chair turning and sees his phone pressed to his ear. "You know that I'm too busy in the mornings for you to randomly call me."

Slowly, Minhyuk inches away from Hyunwoo's door, but he doesn't leave like he's sure he probably should. He's not sure why.

"I'm sorry, but I can't pick you up right now," Hyunwoo sighs. "There's too much going on. Just take a train or a bus... I have a lot of work to do, even more than usual. I'm really sorry..."

There's a pause. Minhyuk presses his back further into the wall, pushing his lips together.

"Okay, fine. I'll figure something out. Just stop whining... Okay, I understand. Bye."

Hyunwoo sighs. Carefully, Minhyuk peeks into his office, frowning at the sight of his boss with his eyes fluttered closed and furrowed brows, slowly rubbing at his temples. Minhyuk knocks on the door, and the man slightly jumps, looking at his assistant in confusion.

"Sorry," Minhyuk quickly bows, "I brought your coffee."

"Oh," he gives him a genuine smile that's small and amiable, "I don't remember asking for coffee, but thank you."

Heat rises in Minhyuk's cheeks. With his head lowered, he approaches Hyunwoo's desk and carefully sets the coffee down. "Um, sir," he says. Hyunwoo looks up at him, slowly. "I know it's really none of my business, but are you feeling okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm okay," Hyunwoo kindly reassures him. "It's been a really rough and busy week, and now my little brother is in Daegu with no money and suddenly wants me to pick him up and I have no idea how I'm going to fit that in my schedule. There's so much to do and so many other people needing me to do stuff right now, I —"

"CEO Son, please calm down," Minhyuk tells him, frowning as his boss anxiously flips through a folder on his desk. "Did you say your little brother is in Daegu?"

The man pauses, and then, "Huh?"

"I can take care of it," he offers.

"I can't let you do that," Hyunwoo says with a settled shake of his head. "It's too big of a task. The drive would be long and my little brother can be a bit of a handful. I wouldn't want to stress you out."

"You're evidently already stressed out, CEO Son," Minhyuk argues. "I don't mind. Honestly. Let me help you out, okay?"

Hyunwoo contemplates this, looking at his desk and then to Minhyuk, fidgeting with his cufflinks. "Okay," he decides, hesitantly, as if he's assuring himself that he won't change his mind, "I'll let you help me out."

Minhyuk wonders how often Hyunwoo hands off the key to his car with how easily he gives them to him, even tossing it in the air for the assistant to catch as if he's a father just casually throwing the car keys of an old Jeep to his son for driving lessons. Hyunwoo's car key is hardly a key, anyway. Just a thing with buttons, black and sleek. Minhyuk feels out of place trailing through the parking lot to find Hyunwoo's reserved parking space, but it doesn't really take much to find his car, blue with tinted windows. His jaw drops a little at the sight of it, even throughout his walk of unbelievable cars in of course reserved parking spaces, the president and secretary, all with vehicles Minhyuk probably wouldn't mind being run over with.

He plops into the leather driver's seat, taking in the space as if he's entered a new world. There's no key ignition. Minhyuk's not surprised, not like what is apparently supposed to be Hyunwoo's car key could even be near any help with starting it. Minhyuk nervously looks around, brows furrowed, until he spots a button somewhere near where he's used to a key ignition being and reluctantly pushes his pointer finger into it. The engine roars to life just like that, the radio softly ringing a pop song throughout the car.

"Awesome, you're so smart," Minhyuk smiles to his reflection in the rearview mirror, adjusting it to his liking along with the car seat to the length of his legs. "Kihyun's going to flip his shit when he hears about this."

With that, he relaxes and starts his way off to Daegu. 

 

. . .

 

There's no one at the bus stop when Minhyuk rolls in. He's a little afraid that Hyunwoo's stepbrother had waited around for so long that he'd gotten fed up with it and went off somewhere else. Minhyuk tried to drive as fast as he could for Hyunwoo's little brother and his own convenience, but it's been a while since Minhyuk has even been behind the wheel. Eventually, he'd freak himself out and slow down.

As Minhyuk waits, humming along to some catchy tune on the radio, he realizes he's not even sure who to look out for. Hyunwoo only offered him his brother's location with no indication of who to actually pick up. Minhyuk assumes he just has to keep an eye out for a mini Son Hyunwoo, but he's still unsure. He picks up his phone and pulls it from the charger a little too roughly, sending his phone flying by his feet. 

"Why is everything in life so hard?" Minhyuk mutters to himself, unbuckling his seat belt and searching for his phone, just as the car door opens.

"Took you long enough," someone sighs. Minhyuk freezes, his phone entirely slipping from his mind, before he's instantly jumping up to widen his eyes at the person in the passenger's seat.

"Jooheon-ssi?"

Jooheon instantly pauses at the sight of him, gaping at the older boy across from him with eyes just as wide. "What the hell?"

"You're Hyunwoo's brother?" Minhyuk stutters. 

_"Stepbrother,"_ Jooheon quickly corrects. He leans back into the leather seat, seemingly struggling to grasp onto all of this as much as Minhyuk is. "I'm so confused. Why are you driving his car?"

"I'm your brother — uh, stepbrother's assistant," he slowly explains. "CEO Son was too busy to come over to Daegu, so I'd offered to help him out."

Jooheon looks through the windshield, dwelling on this, before slapping a palm to his forehead and rubbing it over his face. "Gosh, I would've never guessed... This is so crazy."

"I can't believe I'm just finding out you're CEO Son's stepbrother," Minhyuk says, mostly to himself, but he's turning to look at Jooheon who's still in shock. "I mean, I guess it wouldn't be something to just casually bring up, but it's just so fucking weird. This is so fucking weird."

"So fucking weird," Jooheon nods.

Minhyuk looks at the steering wheel, shaking his head, and then pauses,  "Wait, you're Hyunwoo's stepbrother?"

"Yeah?" he says. He laughs at this, questioningly. "I just told you that."

"But," Minhyuk looks over at him, brows furrowed, "I thought CEO Son's stepbrother was nineteen."

The color instantly drains from Jooheon's face. He tenses up, his lips pressing together into a tight line, before he's turning his head to gaze out of the window. 

_"Jooheon-ssi,"_ Minhyuk says, even shocking himself how low his voice leaves his lips, "please tell me you're not actually nineteen."

Slowly, Jooheon turns back to him, face scrunched as if he'll burst into tears on the spot, or empty his stomach all over the car. Minhyuk feels his blood boiling with each second that passes without Jooheon saying anything, not explaining why he'd lied, not apologizing, and only looking at him with a fearful stare, mouth opening and closing like a fish that's accidentally jumped out of its bowl. "I," he eventually manages, darting his eyes to his feet. "I'm _so_ sorry, Minhyuk-ssi!"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"I'm really sorry," Jooheon tells him again, brows wrinkling. "I'm so — I'm so sorry."

"Is that all you can say? Sorry?" Minhyuk snaps. He nearly orders him out of the car before remembering it doesn't belong to him, and somehow in this world, the only stranger he's ever slept with happens to be his boss' nineteen-year-old brother. _Stepbrother._ "You're a goddamn child, Jooheon-ssi! A little boy!" 

"I'm an adult, okay? I can legally drink —"

_"'Don't."_ Jooheon instantly shuts up, pressing his lips together again and staring at his shoes in silence. Minhyuk has already been drained from all of his energy. He doesn't even feel like pushing the subject anymore, or even feeling angry. He thinks in just those few minutes he's felt enough anger to be nonchalant for the rest of the year. With a deep sigh, he starts the car and rolls off on the ride back to Seoul. 

Minhyuk clicks around on the touch-screen radio, trying to figure out how to use it to ring Hyunwoo. He accidentally switches to AM and FM radio, and then to the GPS, groaning in frustration before he's clicking to FM radio again. All in all, Minhyuk is pretty good with technology. To be honest, most of his college years were spent on a computer, an iPad, and an Xbox. But, seriously, he's a human being. It should not be this hard to operate a car.

"Um," Jooheon says, voice soft as if even the slightest word will have Minhyuk barking at him, "do you need some help?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how to call your brother," Minhyuk stupidly mumbles.

"Minhyuk-ssi," he says, chuckling, "your phone isn't connected to the car."

"Oh."

Jooheon presses a button for him and tells an automated voice to call Hyunwoo hyung. Much simpler than Minhyuk thought it to be, but he's definitely not irritated with it. Definitely.

Minhyuk sighs. _I'm so old,_ he thinks.

"Hi," Hyunwoo answers, his familiar voice filling the car. "Jooheon-ah, you're with my assistant, right?"

"Yup," Jooheon replies, glancing at Minhyuk in the driver's seat. "I'm sort of annoyed you sent out someone else to get me, but we'll talk about that later."

"I'm sorry," Hyunwoo says. "Please don't bother Minhyuk, okay? It was nice of him to come and get you."

Jooheon huffs. "Why do you think I annoy everyone?" 

"Well..." Hyunwoo trails off, eventually just deciding to leave it at that. "I have to go now. Be good, and tell Minhyuk to drive safely and take good care of my little brother, okay?"

"Stepbrother," Jooheon corrects, "but okay."

He hangs up before Hyunwoo even has the chance to say goodbye, and instantly the car once again falls into an uncomfortable silence. Minhyuk can feel each time Jooheon steals a glance of him, probably thinking of something to say to break the tension, make the atmosphere less awkward. But eventually, he just decides to turn on the radio and fix his eyes outside of the window, readjusting the seat so that it leans back.

Minhyuk hates how soft he can be for others, because naturally he worries that he'd been too harsh with Jooheon. At least a little bit. He worries that maybe he shouldn't have yelled at him the way he did, or swore at him so much. Maybe he should've given Jooheon more of a chance to explain himself instead of lashing out so quickly. He feels so guilty, glancing over at Jooheon sadly gazing out the window. Minhyuk doesn't build the courage to apologize until it's an hour into the ride, but Jooheon has already fallen asleep. 

By the time they're in Seoul and Minhyuk has to shake Jooheon awake to know what the hell he's even supposed to do with him, he's entirely forgotten about his guilt. Instead, more focused on the thought of detaching himself as quickly as he can from this situation. He's more than eager to ask Hyunwoo for the rest of the day off and rant until he's come to peace with himself to Hoseok. He's sure his hyung is occupied with work too, but generally Minhyuk and Hoseok are equally shitty with their jobs. Hoseok spends more time hanging around Minhyuk's office, terribly failing at picking up Kihyun, more than he spends selling cars.

"Um," Minhyuk says as Jooheon slowly wakes up, "am I supposed to just drop you off at the company?"

"Do you want Hyunwoo hyung to go insane?"

Minhyuk guesses not. "Where am I supposed to take you?"

"Just take me home," he yawns, sinking back into the car seat. Minhyuk can't help thinking how adorable he is, his hair a little messy on his forehead, his eyelids tired and droopy. But Minhyuk quickly shakes the thought from his head. Jooheon lied to him. He's unsure how he'll happen to get over that.

Minhyuk tries not to think of it and focuses on the directions Jooheon's giving him, forcing himself to not let the thought of how cute Jooheon sounds with sleep laced so thickly in his voice cross his mind either.

Not that Minhyuk will ever say it out loud, but in a non-creepy way, he's already seen Hyunwoo's house from Google Maps. Well, maybe that is a little creepy, but it was just once when he'd had a few drinks, or maybe a few other times. At least he still has some sanity left with the fact that he's never given into stalking Hyunwoo's social media. Not that he has any. Minhyuk's checked. 

He slows down anyway, pretending he's not sure which large house belongs to them until Jooheon points a finger a little further down the street towards a house more traditional than Minhyuk's used to nowadays. There's someone outside, rearranging the outdoor decor and tossing away dead plants in an embroidered winter hat and coat. Minhyuk feels a little nervous at the thought of possibly having to meet Hyunwoo's parents for the first time, but then the person turns, squinting at the tinted windows, and Minhyuk realizes that it's Hyungwon in the front of the house.

The model smiles, and then waves as Jooheon pushes open the car door. 

_Please don't come over here. Please don't come over here. Please —_

"I didn't expect you to be back so early," Hyungwon smiles, patting Jooheon back. He squints at Minhyuk and bows. "Hi!"

Minhyuk instantly pulls his lips into a grin, bowing as well as he can in a car. "Hi! How are you?"

"I'm good. Thank you, and thank you for bringing Jooheon here." He claps two hands onto Jooheon's shoulders, massaging them like he's his little brother. "Why don't you come inside? I made stew —"

"Hyung," Jooheon awkwardly laughs, "you're going to get him sick."

"Shut up, it's actually good this time," Hyungwon claims. Jooheon only looks at him. "My cooking is improving!"

Minhyuk tries keeping the smile on his face. "I think I should just return CEO Son's car now."

"Oh, well, maybe another time then," Hyungwon offers. "When Hyunwoo is not busy. I'm sure he'll want to thank you for going out of your way to get Jooheonie. I won't cook either, since someone has a lot of opinions."

Jooheon yelps when Hyungwon flicks his ear. "Hyunwoo hyung is always busy though," he says, "and if he isn't busy, then you're busy."

"We'll work something out," Hyungwon shrugs.

"Yeah," Minhyuk smiles, because having a meal with his crush, his crush's fiancé, and his crush's nineteen-year-old brother who he slept with is such a good idea, "maybe later."

Hyungwon returns to the outdoor house decor with an amiable smile, but Jooheon doesn't bother heading inside. He awkwardly stands by the open car door before sliding back into the passenger's seat.

"Minhyuk-ssi —"

"If you're going to say sorry again, then you're just going to be wasting your words," Minhyuk interjects.

With a frown, Jooheon nods, and slowly turns to step out again. Instead, he pauses and sighs without turning to him. "I want to say sorry again anyway. Because I am. I'm really sorry for lying to you."

Minhyuk looks away and focuses his gaze on the steering wheel, wondering why there's a lump in his throat, as if he's going to cry.

"That's all," he says before climbing out the car and rushing to the door with his head hung low. Hyungwon obliviously waves a hand to the tinted window as Minhyuk pulls off.

 

. . .

 

There's an apple in Hoseok's hand, his legs propped up on Minhyuk's desk when he arrives to work a few days later. "Hey," his friend greets, happily waving the apple at him, "did some Jooheon guy make you upset?"

Minhyuk curiously takes the apple from Hoseok's hand, reading the unfamiliar handwriting of his name—unsurprisingly followed with Jooheon's written underneath too—and with a roll of his eyes, tosses the fruit into the trash.

"Whoa," Hoseok murmurs, "the guy must've really pissed you off."

"It's nothing."

"Nothing meaning that it's not that big of a deal, or nothing meaning you're not in the mood to talk about it?"

Minhyuk shrugs, pushing some papers aside to make room for his coffee and plopping into his desk chair once Hoseok's moves from it. He thought Jooheon would have given up on him by now, but now and then, Minhyuk receives a text from him saying that he still feels sorry. He doesn't understand why he bothers. Honestly, Minhyuk slept off his anger rather quickly, and he's contemplated forgiving Jooheon a lot actually. But there's no reason attempting to mend whatever the hell surfaced between them. He's his boss' nineteen-year-old brother. It's too complicated, too risky. Minhyuk's job isn't particularly ideal, but he's not yet prepared for something else. He's in no position to free fall into risky situations.

With a sigh, he powers on his laptop as Kihyun enters his office with a tablet, smiling. His eyes land on a smirking Hoseok and instantly his lips drop into a frown.

"Does _this_ have to be here?" Kihyun grumbles. He sets his tablet onto Minhyuk's desk and looks through the folders his colleague managed to accumulate, deciding what he's in the mood for working on. "It's Monday. Do you have anything better to do than sit around here, watching people who are actually successful?"

"Nothing beats seeing my prince every day," Hoseok easily replies with a wink. It's pretty impressive how entirely unaffected he is by any of Kihyun's words. Almost like any insult he could possibly throw at him will only reach Hoseok's ears in compliments.

Kihyun rolls his eyes to the back of his head and sighs, lowly ranting to himself about how much he hates his life. "Next time he's here, you're faxing me all this shit."

"That won't stop him," Minhyuk laughs.

"I know," Kihyun says with another sigh. "I know."

"I'll see you later, beautiful!" Hoseok shouts as Kihyun finally leaves, pressing a middle finger to the glass wall and disappearing down the hall with an armful of papers. His friend only smiles, satisfied. "He's so adorable, gosh. I think he's actually easing up to me."

"Then you might want to reevaluate your understanding of human emotions," Minhyuk tells him. 

Hoseok sits onto the edge of his desk. "I should order him flowers, shouldn't I? He'd love it."

"Well," Minhyuk takes a swig from his coffee cup, "he'd surely love shoving it up your ass."

"I probably should get him something that'd last longer than flowers."

"To represent your undying love?"

"Exactly," Hoseok replies. He crosses a leg over the other, excitedly scrolling through his phone. "I'll get him a teddy bear instead."

Minhyuk thinks of explaining to his hyung that he was clearly just teasing him, but Hoseok's already too worked up, customizing H+K on the tee shirt of a teddy bear that Minhyuk just decides it's best leaving him to it, just as the phone rings throughout the room. Minhyuk instantly stiffens. The call is coming from CEO Son's office. "Oh, fuck me."

Hoseok furrows his brows. "Why? Who is it?"

Minhyuk doesn't bother answering his questions. Not that he feels there's any way for him to muster any words. Hyunwoo has never called him before, and there doesn't seem to be any reason to. Except — Minhyuk picks up the phone, hand unsteady, as he contemplates the many ways to answer. "Sir?" he stupidly decides.

"Good evening," Hyunwoo greets. It's eight AM, but he's his boss, so Minhyuk doesn't correct him. "Sorry for bothering you. Do you mind coming to my office really quickly?"

There are many other times this would've excited Minhyuk, but he feels more tense than before, a leg bouncing uncomfortably underneath his wooden desk. "Right now?"

"Yes, right now —" He tries muting the phone so that he can shout at Hoseok that CEO Son is inviting him to his office, but Minhyuk accidentally ends the call instead. The office phones haven't been his strong suit of this job, anyway. Much like everything else.

"Why is my life like this?" Minhyuk murmurs. He drops his head in his hands, and then sighs, sipping from his cup of coffee and smacking Hoseok's hand away when he reaches for it. "I have to go right quick. If you touch my coffee, I might fight you."

"But you didn't even tell me what the apple is about," Hoseok reminds him. Minhyuk is already heading towards the hall, quickly scurrying to swipe his coffee from the desk, and dashing back again.

"I'll tell you later!" he hurriedly promises before disappearing down the hallway to Hyunwoo's office. Minhyuk walks slowly, although from just the one trip to Hyunwoo's office before, he's memorized the way entirely. He's not sure what to say if Hyunwoo mentions his stepbrother. He never really thought to contemplate how he'd defend himself if Hyunwoo ever found out that they'd slept together. Sure, Minhyuk didn't know at the time. But he doesn't know Hyunwoo enough to assume how he'll react to certain situations. Whether he'd even believe that, or care.

He instantly worries that it'd be a way for Jooheon to get back at him for ignoring him all this time. Minhyuk doesn't know Jooheon well enough either to decide how this information could've been leaked to Hyunwoo. It could've been accidentally told or told in bits and pieces of truth to make himself look good or even entirely told in lies. Minhyuk thinks he should've just told Jooheon he'd forgiven him from the moment he decided he wasn't that angry with him anymore. 

"I hate myself," Minhyuk mutters once Hyunwoo's office is in sight. He stands away from the view of the door, so that Hyunwoo can't see him, pushing a hand at his bangs and normalizing his breathing. In record time, Minhyuk pulls his mouth into an impressive smile and forces himself to appear relaxed. "Good morning, CEO Son!"

He bows as soon as he enters the large office, and then lifts his head, the corners of his lips instantly dropping into a frown. Hyunwoo's sat at his desk with Hyungwon standing from behind him, his arms wrapped around the man as the both of them blankly watch the computer monitor perched on Hyunwoo's desk. Minhyuk swears that he's not jealous, but God, there's no reason for Hyungwon to be here. The couple surely have plenty of time to be around each other, radiating with love and cuddling, or whatever the hell they do together, given that they're happily engaged and Hyungwon's apparently moved in with him now.

"Thank you for coming down here," Hyunwoo says, as if Minhyuk would've actually ignored one of his boss' request. He seems exhausted and stressed, much like he usually does, but it's more conspicuous than what Minhyuk's used to. His stomach churns when he forces a grin to the two men, and receives emotionless expressions in return. Minhyuk awkwardly bites his lips and laces his fingers together.

"I promise that this is the last favor I'll ask you," Hyunwoo tells him. "I know you're probably already annoyed that I'm interrupting your work, but if you do this favor for me, I'll go ahead and give you a raise."

Basically, Minhyuk would do anything that CEO Son asks of him. But with the offer of a raise, he'd shave all the hair from his head and set himself to flames with no second thoughts, gladly even, if he were asked to.

"What do you want me to do, sir?" Minhyuk questions in a voice that unintentionally leaves his lips quietly. 

"It's about my little brother." Stiffly, he nods, gulping around the lump in his throat. "He's been in a holding cell all last night, and he was just released. My parents are out of town so they can't keep him, and, well, I just need you to pick him up for me really quickly."

Minhyuk blinks. "A holding cell?" he repeats. "Like, jail, sir?"

"It's not a big deal; don't worry about it," Hyunwoo quickly tells him. Without a warning, his key flies towards him. Minhyuk barely catches it. "Make sure he comes to my office too. Thank you."

"On it, sir," Minhyuk bows, even though Hyunwoo's engrossed in his computer monitor again with Hyungwon clapping two hands onto his shoulders and murmuring something in his ear. Minhyuk rolls his eyes once his back is turned to the couple and dashes out of the large room, fidgeting with CEO Son's key held tightly in a damp palm. He wonders why he's so worried before he remembers Jooheon. That Jooheon had spent the night in a holding cell.

Minhyuk knows that he doesn't know him—not really, anyway—but he can't help feeling that it doesn't seem much like him. Of course you can't pick that up from the little conversations they'd happened to share. Minhyuk just felt like he'd known him. At least for a little while. Before he'd discovered that Jooheon had lied to him.

CEO Son doesn't exactly tell him where Jooheon is located, so Minhyuk just has to assume that it's the closest police station. He's not that all upset about not knowing, since it'd give him a chance to spend time away from work. But unfortunately, he finds Jooheon at the first police station he visits, sulking in a chair with messy hair.

"Oh," he murmurs, looking up to Minhyuk with wide eyes, "you're here."

"Your brother's a little busy right now, so he'd sent me instead," Minhyuk tells him once they're headed towards the car. "I hope that doesn't upset you."

"Upset me?" Jooheon repeats. He chuckles, pushing a hand at his hair. "I'm too used to this to be upset."

"You know what I meant. I'm sure you'd rather have your family here, right?"

"It doesn't matter," the younger boy says, shoving two hands into the pockets of his denim jacket. They climb into Hyunwoo's car together, buckling their seat belts in silence, Jooheon lacing his fingers through his hair again with a deep sigh. "You know, I didn't do anything."

"You're referring to being put into jail for a night?"

"It was just a holding cell," Jooheon mumbles, as if that somehow makes the situation any better. "It barely had anything to do with me. My friends were just fucking around and spray painting graffiti on what happened to be private property, and it'd also just so happened that I was the only one left there when the police rolled in."

"Your friends just left you?"

"Pretty much," he replies. "But it's fine, don't worry about it."

Minhyuk hates when people tell you not to worry about things you can't help but to worry about. It only causes Minhyuk to glance over at Jooheon even more, frowning at the sight of the teenager sadly looking at his lap and fiddling with his fingers as the engine starts and the car rolls off onto the road.

"Could you take me home first?" Jooheon quietly asks. "I know hyung wants me at the company, but I've sort of been in a holding cell all night. I'd like to at least have a quick shower and change my clothes before my stepbrother tells me how disappointed in me he is."

"Uh, sure," Minhyuk says, quickly changing lanes towards the direction leading to his house. 

Jooheon's gaze trails to his hands again, fingers fidgeting. It really shouldn't be as distracting as it is. Minhyuk wonders if he should tell him that he forgives him now, or if it's too late or even necessary at all. He thinks about the apple on his desk, and wonders when Jooheon had the chance to put it there. If it'd been Saturday, or sometime before Sunday night that he'd sneaked into Minhyuk's office and left it there for him. It makes Minhyuk feel bad that Jooheon had been thinking of him. But Minhyuk has been thinking of Jooheon too, more than he'd like to admit. 

There's no one at the house when the two boys get there. Minhyuk expects it, since Hyungwon's at the company and Hyunwoo had told him their parents were out of town. The space is much larger inside than expected from the outside of the house. From the moment Minhyuk steps into the door, toeing his shoes off, he's met with a large portrait of their family. The hallway trails into the living room eventually with even more fancy portraits, all with themes you'd expect from a family who own a business.

Minhyuk laughs, pointing a finger to a photo of young Jooheon and Hyunwoo in identical suits Minhyuk hadn't worn until he was a teenager. "Why do you look exactly the same as you do now?" 

"Shut up," Jooheon says with a smile. "Just busy yourself until I'm finished. There's food in the fridge if you're hungry. Go mad, no one really cares."

The older boy nods as Jooheon disappears down a hallway, absently humming to himself. Instantly, he goes into the kitchen and decides on a cup of strawberry yogurt, before settling on a comfy couch in the living room. There's a sound of shower water from somewhere in the house, probably upstairs. Minhyuk happily eats his yogurt and tosses it away into the trash. He looks at more baby photos and the few recent photos thrown in here and there, probably taken from one of the company's phones, before he does some more waiting, listening to the shower water running, and then tiptoes upstairs.

He knows he should just stay where he is, and he's going to eventually end up hating himself, but curiosity gets the best of him. Once he emerges into a dark hallway, he realizes that he has no idea what he's doing up here. He doesn't even know what he's interested in seeing or even expecting to see, yet he's tiptoeing down the carpeted hallway, easing a door open as softly as he can. He closes it once he's just met with a supply closet, and then opens a few more of a computer room and game room, until he eases the door open of a bedroom. 

The walls are painted an olive green. It's more simple than Minhyuk expects from the house. Just a simple bed, large and taking up so much space in the center of the room with perfectly white sheets and a pillow set of olive green and white-colored pillows stacked as if Minhyuk has walked into the room of a five-star hotel. There's a single painting on the wall. One of those paintings blurred and senseless, but evidently valuable just from the feel of it. Minhyuk doesn't need the framed photo of Hyungwon and Hyunwoo at the nightstand, and a desk entirely covered of magazines all featuring Hyungwon's face to know that it's their room. 

Minhyuk looks through the drawers without a reason to. It's just a bunch of shit. Papers and folders, even a few wedges of thick binders, until he finds the drawer holding all of their clothes. It's only until then that Minhyuk realizes he's being insane. Looking through his boss' things, as if there's actually something in there for him. 

_Idiot,_ Minhyuk thinks, sighing and backing out of the door, carefully easing it shut. He sucks in a breath and goes to walk away from it, just as Jooheon steps from the bathroom, only wearing boxer briefs with a towel wrapped around his shoulders.

"Oh," Jooheon says, quickly darting his eyes away from Minhyuk, "what are you doing up here?"

The older boy laughs, softly. "Are you blushing?"

"Blushing? No, I'm not blushing."

"Looks like you're blushing to me," Minhyuk sings, flashing him a teasing smile. He watches the way a droplet of water slides down his chest into his briefs, deciding where exactly to look as Jooheon claps a hand to his nape. "I've seen you naked before, if you remember."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Jooheon says. He runs a hand through his drenched, wavy hair, water dripping from the dark ringlets and slipping down his neck. "You're right. I just don't want you to feel awkward, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it," Minhyuk nods. "You're half naked and wet, and we're the only ones here. I can understand how you would think I'd feel awkward. But nope, not me. I'm perfectly okay."

"Good."

"Good."

Minhyuk nods again, stupidly, because he's a little unsure how else to use his words in ways that'll make sense and won't make him seem like an idiot.

"Uh, I'm going now," Jooheon tells him.

"Right."

"To put clothes on."

"Yeah, you go do that," Minhyuk says. "I'll be right here."

"Okay."

"Well, not like, right here. I won't be waiting for you to get ready. I'll wait for you downstairs."

With that, Jooheon awkwardly turns and disappears into a room of pastel blue colored walls, entirely different from Hyunwoo's, and closes the door behind him. It feels like suddenly Minhyuk has a chance to grasp onto oxygen again. He instantly pushes a hand through his hair, inhaling and exhaling, and there's barely any time for him to beat himself up about how much of an idiot he is before the door is flying open again, and they're pulling into each other, bodies pressed together, lips crashing. 

Minhyuk slips a hand to his chest, rubbing at the wet skin there with Jooheon gripping at his chin to hold his head in place. He's not interested in playing softly anymore. His hands crave leaving as many marks as he pleases, now that he can. Minhyuk drags his fingernails down Jooheon's chest and digs them into his belly, enough to leave an imprint and enough for Jooheon to grit his teeth and accidentally bite him.

"Sorry," he whispers. Minhyuk laughs and kisses his jaw and his neck, breathing in his body wash as if it's the last inhale he'll ever take. It's something strong; something with the scent of nature. Minhyuk wonders how he can possibly be worried about the scent of a fucking body wash with Jooheon's head dropped back enough for his lips to easily attach to his neck. 

Minhyuk places a hand at Jooheon's nape so that he won't hurt his neck for holding his head back for too long, and sucks at his skin, kissing along his throat and running his tongue up his Adam's apple. He grins at the soft shudder of Jooheon's body, and then works along his collarbone, eagerly sucking and biting at his clavicle with two hands harshly gripping Jooheon by the waist.

"Shit," Jooheon says through deep breaths, "if you bruise me, there's no way I'll be able to explain it." 

"You're right," Minhyuk nods, distracted. "We shouldn't even be doing this at all."

But the little fact doesn't stop him from brushing his fingers over Jooheon's nipples, already harden from the cold air hitting wet skin, and sucking the brown nub into his mouth. Jooheon backs himself into the door of the supply closet, fingers lacing in Minhyuk's dark hair as he rolls his other nipple between his fingers, liking the way the younger boy's breath becomes unsteady and ragged when he pinches it.

"God, Minhyuk-ssi," Jooheon groans, his voice soft and shaky. "You drive me crazy."

Minhyuk laughs, kissing up his chest, over the bruises forming on his collarbone and neck, with two hands cupping at his ass with a light squeeze as their lips brush in a way that's neither soft nor innocent. Minhyuk likes it. He likes Jooheon. He likes that he makes him feel like he's on fire.

Jooheon's hands trail to his thighs, gripping him firmly there, until Minhyuk's legs are wrapped around his waist and he's carrying him into his room as they kiss. The older boy brushes his fingers over Jooheon's cheek, gently, in contrast with their lips harshly pressed together, his other pulling at the damp hair from the back of his head. He flattens a hand to his warm cheek and pushes his tongue into Jooheon's mouth before the grip on his thighs becomes undone and he's suddenly hitting the floor with Jooheon falling on top of him.

"I'm _so_ sorry!" the teenager says with flushed cheeks. "You were heavier than I thought, and I didn't want to make things awkward if I tried to put you down."

"So you thought it'd just be better to drop me?" Minhyuk chuckles, slipping a hand over Jooheon's nape and pulling their faces close. "You're so stupid."

"I know," he mutters, laughing lightly, and exhaling the scent of toothpaste.

Jooheon straddles him to the carpeted floor, pushing the blazer from Minhyuk's shoulders and fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Thankfully, he manages to expose Minhyuk's stomach and chest without the buttons undergoing any rips, and runs his hands up his torso.

"I missed you," Jooheon suddenly tells him. Minhyuk doesn't miss the flicker of sadness in his voice before he's looking into his eyes with a soft smile. "I think you missed me too."

"What makes you say that?"

He grinds against him, smile widening at the way Minhyuk sharply sucks in a breath. "You're already so hard, Minhyuk-ssi. You missed me, didn't you?"

Minhyuk hates that his cheeks heat up. He looks away as Jooheon kisses his jaw, beaming.

"Did you touch yourself when you thought of me, Minhyuk-ssi?" It's amazing how dirty it sounds, yet it leaves Jooheon's lips so innocently, as if he could just ask this over the dinner table and no one would choke. He grips the older boy through his pants, and Minhyuk has to groan to keep himself from emitting a childish whine. "It's okay. I missed you too. I missed you so much."

At this, Minhyuk snaps the elastic waistband of Jooheon's boxers against his skin. The sting is enough for him to shut up and kiss him again, having to lift his hips for Minhyuk to tug his boxer briefs to his thighs. Minhyuk doesn't want to play with him, or to be played with. He just wants Jooheon inside of him, and he thinks he'll go insane if it doesn't happen anytime soon. He pulls his own pants off, tugging them down with his boxers and tossing them on the carpeted floor of Jooheon's bedroom.

Minhyuk pushes him away when the teenager ducks to kiss him again. "No, you're not kissing me unless you're fucking me."

"Okay," Jooheon laughs, crawling off him, "I'd forgotten how bossy you can get."

Minhyuk chuckles at the pencil case Jooheon grabs from a drawer in his room, hidden underneath socks and underwear, before he's popping it open to a bottle of lube and a golden strip of condoms. He thinks to pick on him about that later as Jooheon joins him on the floor again.

"Hurry and prep me," Minhyuk tells him once the bottle of lube is popped open. "Hurry, hurry, hurry."

"Stop, you're making me nervous," Jooheon tells him through a laugh. He spreads Minhyuk's legs open, a hand gently stroking his thigh. It's nice, but it's not what Minhyuk wants right now. He groans, unsatisfied. "Hey, don't worry, okay? I got you."

He's less assiduous with his fingers than before. The first is slow, but once Minhyuk grunts with disapproval, he works the next two in quickly, stretching him with a pace well enough to excite him even more. His exhales are sharp and short as he pushes himself onto Jooheon's fingers, deciding to make the most of this until Jooheon thinks he's opened him well enough to fuck him.

Minhyuk hisses when his middle finger brushes his prostate, a shiver shooting down his spine, teeth clomping together so tightly he's surprised that it doesn't happen to shoot pain through his gums. _"Fuck,"_ he breathes. Jooheon looks at him a little surprised. Minhyuk's sure he doesn't even know where he'd touched him. "I'm ready. Please."

Jooheon struggles with getting the condom open, before just deciding to rip at it with his teeth, and rolling it on too slowly for Minhyuk's liking. But the older boy decides to be patient with Jooheon, at least for a little while. He'd feel guilty making Jooheon uneasy and sloppy if he rushes him any more. 

"Are you comfortable?" Jooheon asks, softly. Minhyuk shifts his position a little, and eagerly nods, satisfied with the way Jooheon doesn't waste time pushing his cock into him. He doesn't notice that he's already grinding himself into Jooheon until a hand is pressed to his cheek, the other gripping him by the hip. "Easy. I got you, remember? Just chill. I'll make you feel good, Minhyuk-ssi, like before."

Minhyuk nods, even though before Jooheon had came rather quickly, but he decides to relax, to trust him. Jooheon brings his other hand to his hip, and thrusts into him, slowly at first before he's picking up his pace the way that Minhyuk likes it.

"There you go," Jooheon whispers as his muscles loosen. Minhyuk places his hands onto Jooheon's shoulders, trying not to lose it, his mouth falling open with moans that Jooheon catches in his mouth. His tongue is wet and hot, curling around his own, swallowing the moan from Minhyuk's lips as his hips drag away from him and smack into his skin again. 

"Oh, God," Minhyuk breathes. It takes everything in him to not thrust into the younger boy, demand for more, but he controls himself with his fingernails digging into Jooheon's skin, palms tight and firm on his shoulders. 

"Relax," he tells him. Minhyuk groans, but it's worth it when Jooheon's weight is on him and their lips are together. "That's a good boy. Just breathe. You're doing so well, Minhyuk-ssi."

Minhyuk's body shudders. "Can you," he sucks in a breath, eyes squeezing, "can you move a little to the right — _fuck,_ that's it."

Minhyuk doesn't need Jooheon to wrap a hand around his dick, but he does anyway, his hand gently stroking him as he focuses more on thrusting into that spot. His head feels so fuzzy. If only Jooheon weren't telling him how well he's doing, he would've lost control, bucking himself into Jooheon's cock until he comes. 

It's quick then. Jooheon speeds up his hips, the room filling with a repetitive slap of skin-to-skin, and their moans mixing into together. He drops Minhyuk's length from his hand and presses his forehead into his neck with the older boy's legs wrapping around his waist as he becomes comfortable on top of him. Minhyuk's a sweaty mess once he's finding that spot again, crying out each time he hits it, until Jooheon comes, still helping Minhyuk to pour all over his belly after catching his breath, and then flops on top of him, the two boys panting and sharing sloppy kisses tasting of salt.

"Gosh," Minhyuk breathes, holding Jooheon's face and pecking his lips again, "I did miss you. I really did."

Jooheon smiles as he lifts his weight off him. There's no reason for him to, but he licks the smeared cum from Minhyuk's belly, tongue gliding slowly over his skin, before he's pulling away with a grimace. 

Minhyuk bursts into a laugh. "What made you think that was a good idea?"

"I don't know," he chuckles, kissing him again. "I was just curious, I guess."

"'What time is it?"

"Huh?"

_"Fuck!"_ Minhyuk shoves Jooheon off him, his senses finally kicking in. He pushes a shaky hand through his hair and tugs at the strands once his bangs flop onto his forehead again. "I'm such an idiot! Put some clothes on!"

Jooheon sits in shock as Minhyuk hurriedly jumps onto his socked feet, buttoning his shirt again and finding his boxers and pants on the floor. When he has one leg into his trousers, he looks to Jooheon who's still just watching him in silence.

_"Now!"_ Minhyuk demands. "Put some clothes on now!"

Finally, Jooheon rushes to his drawer, finding a shirt and jeans to put on as Minhyuk steps into the other leg of his pants. He wants to punch himself in the face, or punch Jooheon in the face, but he knows that he can only really blame himself. He could've stopped it, but he didn't. He didn't want to. He wanted Jooheon so badly that even knowing it was wrong, he didn't bother to stop him, to stop himself.

The car ride back to the company is silent. Minhyuk looks at himself in the mirror too much, anxiously fixing his hair and smoothing a hand over the wrinkles in his shirt. His entire appearance screams sex, at least to Minhyuk it does. He's washed his face in the bathroom and brushed his hair over and over again, yet he still feels every bit of him screams sex. 

"CEO Son's going to know," Minhyuk panics, hands tightening around the steering wheel when they're parked in the parking lot, in Hyunwoo's reserved space. "He's going to know, and he's going to fire me on the spot."

"He's not going to know," Jooheon attempts reassuring him with a sigh, but Minhyuk's too caught up in his theory to listen to him.

"He was going to give me another office," he groans. "A better office, where no one could hear and see everything I do. He was going to give me a raise, and his nineteen-year-old brother just had to fuck me."

"Stepbrother,"  Jooheon corrects, "and don't say that as if this is my fault. It's just as much as my fault as it is your fault. And he's not going to know, so there's nothing to worry about."

"He's going to realize that we were gone for too long."

"So what?  Let's say you'd went to the police station and I wasn't there, so you didn't want to go against my stepbrother's orders and went to the house to come find me. Let's say that you went to the wrong police station a few times, and then you took me home to take a shower. Let's say —"

"Jesus Christ, do you just have these lies sitting around in your pocket?"

"When you grow up in a strict household, you get the hang of things," he shrugs. "And really, there's nothing to worry about. We probably won't even have to lie. When Hyunwoo hyung is at work, time doesn't exist. He thinks night is day, and day is night. He probably hasn't even noticed that you've already left to come get me. Just chill out, okay?"

It turns out that Jooheon is correct. Thankfully, CEO Son did realize that Minhyuk had left, but he doesn't question how long they'd been gone, or why Minhyuk's shirt is so wrinkled now and why he seems so nervous. Hyunwoo barely looks away from his computer monitor, and it seems that neither him or Hyungwon have moved since Minhyuk left. They're both in the same position, both staring at the computer monitor. Except now, Hyungwon's sipping from a steaming mug that fills the large room with a scent of lemon and honey.

"Thank you," is all Hyunwoo says to Minhyuk, without looking at him. He glances at Jooheon, staring at his boots and nervously fumbling with the sleeves of a turtleneck. "Minhyuk, would you close the door on your way out?"

"Yes, sir," Minhyuk mumbles with a quick bow. As he leaves, him and Jooheon lock eyes for just a fleeting moment, before Minhyuk's ducking his head and silently closing the door behind himself. He doesn't realize that he's holding his breath until his back is pressed against the wall and he rushes to the nearest conference room, closing the door, locking it, and sliding to the floor to catch his breath.

His heart beats wildly behind his chest, and it takes everything in him to not crumble as he thinks of his lips on Jooheon's neck, and the younger boy on top of him, calling him a good boy, stroking him between their bellies.

Minhyuk slaps a hand to his face with a groan. He is _so_ going to hell.

 

. . .

 

It can't happen again. That's what Minhyuk promises himself, even if he's hesitant to delete Jooheon's number and he thinks about him so much that it hurts his chest a little. It should be easier to not want him, but there's a rug burn at the end of Minhyuk's spine, near his tailbone, from the carpeted floor of Jooheon's room that makes Minhyuk miss him a little, and, well, Jooheon is at the company every single day.

It's a punishment of some sort that Hyunwoo's put on him, since he apparently doesn't believe that Jooheon had nothing to do with the graffiti. His tasks go from organizing papers and taking things back and forth between departments to cleaning up after all the workers and mopping the floors whenever he comes in from his classes instead of the janitors. Minhyuk sees him frowning every time he passes him, wearing an orange tee shirt printed with _'ASK ME WHY I'M HERE'_ in bold, black letters. It'd be more humorous if Minhyuk doesn't have to see the fading bruises on Jooheon's neck and collarbone every day. He tries his best to avoid walking past Jooheon, which should be easy since the building is so large, but of course, life hates Minhyuk.

Minhyuk is in his office, actually busying himself since it's easier not thinking of Jooheon when he's distracted with Hyunwoo's work, when CEO Son enters his office. He looks happy and well-rested, the way that Minhyuk likes him best. Apparently, Hyungwon had convinced Hyunwoo to give himself a break and sleep off all his stress for three days. The change has been drastic. And no, Minhyuk hasn't been eavesdropping on CEO Son's relationship. He has someone else to do that for him. In other words, Kihyun spends too much time trying to find ways to assure his ticket to Shanghai, and Minhyuk has figured out a way for all that coffee debt to finally be paid off.

"Hi," Hyunwoo happily greets when Minhyuk jumps up from his chair to bow, "are you doing anything right now?"

"Yeah, actually," Minhyuk says, before quickly adding, "but I'm fine if you need me for something, sir."

Hyunwoo smiles so cutely that Minhyuk's heart flutters. "I have a surprise for you."

"What?" he asks, even as he's already following his orders. Minhyuk absently closes his laptop and hurries to join him with quick footsteps. 

"I have a surprise," Hyunwoo repeats. He looks so excited that it's adorable. Minhyuk imagines his boss taking his hand and guiding him towards the top floor of the building, where the view is beautiful, where it looks perfectly over Seoul and the sunlight seeps from the window, enlivening the hallway. He can imagine the natural light adding a glow to Hyunwoo's dark skin, his dark hair shining, and his lips spreading into a toothy grin when he lowers himself onto one knee and proposes to him. Like in the dramas him and Hoseok get teary-eyed over.

Instead, CEO Son just claps two hands over the smaller boy's eyes and guides him towards where he guesses leads into the hallway, but Minhyuk can feel his strong chest pressed to his back so he assumes this is equally just as better.

"Come along," Hyunwoo sings. Minhyuk chuckles, excitedly, and lets his boss lead him wherever. He wonders what his colleagues think of the sight. Probably that CEO Son is drunk. Minhyuk laughs to himself, and then Hyunwoo laughs softly, even though he doesn't know what he's laughing about, continuing to walk behind him, shielding Minhyuk's eyes until their footsteps finally come to a stop. 

Minhyuk smiles. "Can I look now?"

"Take two steps forward, and then open your eyes," he quickly instructs him.

With just two steps, Minhyuk can tell that he's no longer walking on the hard floors of the hallways. Slowly, he flutters open his eyes, and then smiles, twirling around in the small space. An office. It smells new, of disinfectant spray, and there's a wooden desk in the center of the small space with a big, comfy chair behind it. Everything seems untouched, even the two bookshelves on both sides of the small window  that's covered with blinds. He's surrounded by four walls. Four walls. And there's a beautiful wooden door behind him that Hyunwoo stands in front of, that he can open and close whenever he pleases. 

"CEO Son!" Minhyuk gasps. "This is mine? All mine?"

"All yours," Hyunwoo confirms with a smile. "How about you go check the first drawer of your desk?"

Gaping, Minhyuk hurriedly makes his way to the desk—his desk—and opens the first drawer to a shiny, black stapler. "A new stapler!" he grins. "Thank you so much, CEO Son! You didn't have to!"

"Oh," his boss chuckles, "wrong drawer. Look in the drawer at the bottom."

Minhyuk closes the drawer, and then opens the bottom drawer by the silver pulls, mouth falling open and eyes widening. "CEO Son," Minhyuk gasps.

"Do you like it?" He smiles.

"Like it?" Minhyuk pulls the new laptop from the drawer, placing it onto his new desk and instantly rushes over to his boss, enveloping him in a tight hug. "This is crazy! Thank you so much, CEO Son. Thank you! Thank you! I love you!"

Hyunwoo seems taken aback, but laughs at Minhyuk's frozen expression when he realizes what he'd said. "It's okay," he tells him. "I'm glad you're happy. An employee has never hugged me before."

"Oh." Minhyuk quickly steps away from him and sheepishly bows. "Thank you so much, CEO Son. Really — wow! This is so nice. You honestly didn't have to."

"You work for me, so you deserve to be thanked."

"Thank you," he says again, grinning, because it's now all he can think of to say to his boss.

"It's nothing. Make sure you're free tomorrow night. My fiancé says I have to take you out for dinner," CEO Son tells him. Stunned, Minhyuk nods. "Also, you don't have to worry about your things. I'll get my little brother to get your stuff and organize them in here to your liking. You just get back to work, okay?"

"I'll do that!" Minhyuk bows until Hyunwoo turns his back to him to leave.

He pauses in the doorway. "You want me to close this?"

"Please!" CEO Son flashes him a smile, and closes the door behind himself.

Minhyuk grins into his hands, and then leaps across his office, envisioning it like a graceful ballerina, although he's pretty sure that it looks mostly like he's tripped over something. He jumps into his new chair and happily spins around his office. So much space. So much privacy. So much newness.

Deeply, he inhales the scent of disinfectant spray and chokes.

Minhyuk places his new stapler onto the desk and powers open his laptop, familiarizing himself with it and customizing it to his liking. It's from a company partnered with their own, a model that'd only been released two months ago and was so expensive that Minhyuk hadn't even considered the possibility of someone actually buying it, or having it. Let alone himself.

Minhyuk's other laptop is in perfect condition, even if it restarts randomly sometimes and freezes way too much for his liking. His parents had bought it for him two years ago when he'd decided to move back to Seoul from Jeolla do, where his mom and dad moved back to after he'd graduated high school, since that's where they're from. Minhyuk had returned to live with them after graduating college in Seoul, but even with already learning the dialect from his parents, he was too used to the city he grew up in. Getting a laptop from his parents as a goodbye present felt like they were accepting that he'd grown up and was ready to start a life on his own. Minhyuk refuses to ever get rid of it. He decides to use Hyunwoo's gift as his work laptop, and then keep his parents' gift at home.

There's suddenly a knock to his door. Minhyuk nearly calls out, and then stops himself.

_"It's Jooheon!"_

He freezes. Minhyuk thinks about other ways to go about this. More mature ways. But, then again, fuck that. The man instantly ducks underneath his desk, pulling his knees to his chest as there's another knock to his door.

"Are you there, Minhyuk-ssi? I brought some of your stuff from your old office!"

There's a pause before the door slowly opens. Jooheon's footsteps are too silent on the carpeted floor for Minhyuk to hear where he moves. He swears silently to himself and carefully peeks from the desk, watching Jooheon obliviously slip books onto his new shelves and organize his folders. He looks around once he's finished, bottom lip poking from his mouth as he slips into his thoughts, and then frowns. Minhyuk holds his breath as Jooheon explores the office a little, walking slowly, and then leaves with the door closing behind him.

He exhales a breath of air. 

 

. . .

 

"Why aren't you wearing a jacket?"

Minhyuk absently tugs on the black tie he'd just bought that morning, since he'd realized a little too late that his dark blue button-down shirt looked too plain and the only two ties he has are a Christmas themed clip-on he couldn't resist at a yard sale, and the other being pale pink. He'd been too distracted with avoiding Jun's wrath and trying to leave at a reasonable time to be able to find a cheap tie and also not be late for work that he hadn't thought to consider there being no way the thin fabric of his button-down could protect him from the chilly weather.

"I guess I forgot," Minhyuk replies as him and Hyunwoo near the deli a few blocks away from the company, not really something Minhyuk imagined for dinner, but it's cute and small, like it belongs in a cliché, romantic film, so he doesn't mind it. Minhyuk bows when Hyunwoo opens the door for him, wondering if it's obvious how warm his cheeks are. "You know, sir, since you're bigger than me, I bet your jacket would feel really warm."

"Yeah, that is true," Hyunwoo nods. He smiles at him and grips at the zipper of his coat. Minhyuk can feel his heart racing wildly in chest. "You should remember to bring a big jacket to work tomorrow, so then you won't feel cold."

Slowly, Minhyuk's smile falters. "Uh, yeah. I'll try to remember that, sir."

With that, Hyunwoo happily leads the way to the counter for them to order, and then finds a table of four chairs, right by the window where you can see the city streets. Minhyuk feels a little overwhelmed by the cool air, but his boss seems content and seems to think that the table choice isn't strange at all, so he doesn't bother questioning him. It's taken Minhyuk some time, but he's realized that in the business world, you just have to know when not to open your mouth. He'd learned it the hard way when his colleagues invited him out for a round of shots. It's safe to say no one's really eager to drink with Minhyuk again.

"Water?" Minhyuk offers when an iced pitcher is set on their table. He picks it up and softly smiles at his boss who nods and holds his glass for him to fill, and then his own. "So, sir, how has your day been so far?"

Hyunwoo takes a swig from his glass. "Good," he says. Minhyuk expects more, but that's it.

_Well, okay._

"Great!" Minhyuk beams, because he's good with smiling when he isn't sure what else to do. Hyunwoo returns it, and then picks up his glass again, his Adam's apple bobbing as he finishes off his glass in one gulp. Minhyuk hurries to refill it. "I can tell you're feeling much better than before. Since you've taken the three-day break. It's really good to see you well-rested."

"Thank you," he happily nods.

"You should try taking more breaks often," Minhyuk suggests. "Just here and there, you know? So that you won't end up stressing yourself out."

"It's nice of you to worry about me," CEO Son tells him, "but I'll be okay."

Minhyuk smiles. "Of course, sir."

He realizes a little too late that ice-cold water isn't exactly a good idea when you're already freezing your ass off. Minhyuk's mouth is pulled into a permanent grin, teeth gritting to keep from chattering, and his hands rubbing together underneath the table so that Hyunwoo won't notice that they're shivering. He doesn't seem too attentive, anyway. They sit in silence for quite some time, the way that Minhyuk hates, with Hyunwoo watching the little television behind his head of the news, muted with captions. Minhyuk assumes it's better than him scrolling through his phone, and Hyunwoo even smiles at him momentarily, letting Minhyuk know that he's still aware he's there. That's, well, better than nothing. Minhyuk smiles back as he knows best.

The men are served three sandwiches on little baby blue trays with chips. Minhyuk finds it amusing that Hyunwoo would need two sandwiches. He's so muscular that Minhyuk always thought of his boss having to only survive off protein shakes and nuts, berries, and other ingredients Hoseok hyung claims are equivalent to meals whenever he isn't cheating (really, Hoseok is usually cheating,) but Minhyuk assumes it does make sense. Being bigger, he must have a larger appetite.

"So," Minhyuk says, smiling, "what do you like doing?"

Hyunwoo seems taken aback by the question, as if he's never been asked that before. "What do you mean?"

"Like, hobbies. What kind of stuff are you into?"

"Hm," he thoughtfully hums to himself, and then settles with lifting his shoulder before letting it fall again, "I don't think that I have any hobbies."

"Really? After work you don't do anything?"

"After work?" Hyunwoo asks. He chuckles lightly to his sandwich, as if Minhyuk's a little, oblivious child. "There's really no _after work_ for me. I usually just sleep when I'm not working, and then sometimes my little brother wants me to play basketball with him. But we haven't played together recently."

"Oh." Minhyuk takes a bite of his sandwich and chews slowly, watching a couple and a little girl sat at one of the booths on the other side of the deli.

"I'm sorry," his boss suddenly says.

Minhyuk blinks, and then swallows. "Huh?"

"I'm boring."

"Oh," Minhyuk quickly shakes his head, "you're fine, CEO Son. I'm not bored."

Minhyuk is kind of bored. But he knows it's only because he gets bored a little bit too easily, and Hyunwoo is more content with tranquility and being quiet during a meal. Minhyuk is perfectly okay with that. He can be calm and he can be quiet, and knows, as anything, this could be worse.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Minhyuk looks up, mid-bite, at the lights of the deli hitting Hyungwon's face, his cheeks big as he smiles and swings his jacket over the back of the chair next to Hyunwoo.

Okay, this couldn't be worse.

"I was at an interview for a magazine," Hyungwon says, probably thinking that Minhyuk cares. "Things have been becoming super last minute for me lately. I really try to be on time."

Hyunwoo just looks at him.

_"I try,"_  he emphasizes, nudging Hyunwoo with his elbow, and the two of them grinning at each other like they're the only two in the world. "I'm getting better at being on time. I am."

"Okay," Hyunwoo smiles.

"I am!"

He laughs, and squeezes his shoulder. "I said okay. Now eat."

Smiling, Hyungwon unwraps his sandwich and takes a bite that's way too big for his mouth, a finger pushing in as much as it can handle with each loud chew and murmur of it tasting well. Minhyuk has never seen a model eat before. He would expect it to be more pleasant. 

"Did you get here okay?" Minhyuk questions, amiable and happy as always.

Hyungwon nods with a mouth covered of mayonnaise that Hyunwoo fortunately tends to with a napkin. "I ran a little, though, which is rare for me, so feel special."

Minhyuk chuckles. "I feel very special."

"Good, eat a lot," Hyungwon tells him, patting Hyunwoo's chest, "because this guy's paying."

They all laugh, and then return to eating in silence. Minhyuk suddenly isn't that hungry anymore. Actually, he kind of feels like throwing up.

Hyunwoo's eyes easily trail back to the captions on the TV, and Hyungwon scrolls through his phone, inhaling his sandwich and humming along to a familiar pop song flowing throughout the deli. Minhyuk is sure there have been a lot of times he's felt uncomfortable, much worse than this, but for some reason he can't think of any. 

It's unbelievable how much of an idiot Hyunwoo can make him feel.  Minhyuk is already pretty much of an idiot, but add Hyunwoo, and he's vacuous. He's unsure what he's even doing here, eating with them. He should've just denied Hyunwoo's request. There's nothing here for him, just as there was nothing there for him in Hyunwoo and Hyungwon's room, and Minhyuk thinks about how even before he'd known of Hyungwon's existence, he's been trying to place himself into a picture in which he doesn't belong, under an illusion that he'll fit just perfectly. But things aren't really that way at all.

"I should probably go," Minhyuk murmurs, after a while of unbearable silence.

Hyungwon looks up from his phone with furrowed brows, head resting on Hyunwoo's shoulder. "So soon?"

_So soon._ It feels like Minhyuk has been sitting here, watching them absently exchange affectionate touches and say nothing to each other for years.

"Yeah," he replies, pushing his tray away from him and trying to seem apologetic, "my stomach kind of hurts."

"Oh," Hyunwoo frowns, "that's not good."

"You gave him a ride here, didn't you?" Hyungwon asks with his eyes trailing up to look at his fiancé.

"Yeah." He reaches into the pocket of his pants, intently digging his hand around. Minhyuk imagines CEO Son pulling out his car keys and leaving Hyungwon to finish off his meal to drive Minhyuk home so that he won't have to get himself there alone in the dark, but instead his hand reappears with cash that he places into his palm. "Take a cab."

"Okay," Minhyuk nods, forcing a smile so tightly that his cheeks ache, "thank you, CEO Son, and thank you, Hyungwon-ssi."

Hyungwon bows without lifting his head from Hyunwoo's shoulder, and Minhyuk quickly bows to both of them, fist tightening around the money in his hand as he dashes out of the deli with burning cheeks. He walks for a while, to clear his head, and then gives up and waves for a taxi. 

Minhyuk strives off love and affection, and right now, he really needs a good shoulder to lie on. He instantly fishes for his phone pushed into his left pocket and rings Hoseok, shivering. He feels a little pathetic, running to his best friend. Not that he thinks it makes him weak running to Hoseok—it's what they are there for each other for, and, really, Hoseok gives the warmest hugs—he's just been a slacking friend. Ever since Jooheon, that damned kid, and him fucked again, he's felt so embarrassed.  So embarrassed that he knows if he's too close to Hoseok that he'll let his guard down and he'd feel so terrible, so ashamed, admitting what happened. It's just better avoiding Hoseok, just as he's avoided Jooheon. And it sucks that really Minhyuk is a good friend and he loves Hoseok so much, and he's sure that his hyung is so worried about him as he secretly always is.

Hoseok doesn't answer his first call, or his second.  After the third, Minhyuk gives up and puts his phone away, sadly looking out of the window.

"Wait," Minhyuk tells the taxi driver, "there's somewhere else I have to go."

The driver doesn't seem too ecstatic about redirecting, but with a heavy sigh, he changes routes, following Minhyuk's directions as he pulls his gaze back to the window, a hand perched under his chin.

There aren't many cars lining the lot of the club, but it's as Minhyuk expects it. It's sometime after nine o'clock. It's probably just opened, and from the looks of it, the club isn't that popular, anyway. Minhyuk pays the driver and waves him off, tugging his tie loose as he enters with slow footsteps, finding his way to the bar as if he's done it many times.

"Something to make me feel less of a pathetic arse," Minhyuk says for his order. Understandingly, the bartender nods, and Minhyuk buries his face in his hands, pushing at his bangs out of frustration, as he prepares his drink. 

_I should quit my job,_ he thinks, and then shakes his head. It sounds like something Hoseok would tell him, which he always tries convincing Minhyuk. But he admits that besides the fact he is so used to being Hyunwoo's personal assistant and he's unsure what he wants to do with himself, ever since he'd learned that he hated being a CEO's personal assistant, he didn't stay for the money or the fact he needed a job. He stayed because Hyunwoo made his heart flutter, and he thinks that maybe it's time for him to focus on realistic things and familiarize himself with what's real and what's not.

Fortunately, a glass is then set in front of him. Minhyuk wastes no time taking it into his hand and downing it, swallowing around the burn as fast as he can with scrunched eyes. Breathing deeply, he brings the cup back down, wiping at his mouth and the droplet dripping from his chin.

It's not fair. It's not fair that Minhyuk has to like him. It's not fair that Hyunwoo has to be his boss. It's not fair that Hyunwoo is so kind to him and everyone, but especially him, and makes him so damn happy, yet he belongs to someone else. It's not fair that Hyungwon gets to have him. He barely talks to him, or touches him. Well, he does, but not in the way that Minhyuk would. Minhyuk thinks he'd be a much better fiancé. He has so much love to give and nothing to do with it.

Sighing, the man orders himself another drink and downs it with less of a mess, and it's then that he can feel two eyes burning holes into him. His muscles tense, fingers slowly unwrapping from the glass before his hand is propped under his chin again.

"You know," Minhyuk says, running a hand over his face, "people can't really tell what you want if you just stare at them."

Jooheon is sipping on a straw of something bright, something that resembles more of a cherry popsicle that's been left out in the sun too long than alcohol, with his dark hair straightened and pushed away from his face and his shirt buttoned too low. "My bad," he tells him. "I see you're moping around again."

"Shut up."

"It's just an observation," Jooheon says in his defense. He slips into the seat beside him, as if Minhyuk had invited him over, but Minhyuk has a feeling that Jooheon knows he doesn't have the energy to protest. "Are you okay, Minhyuk-ssi?"

"Yes," the older boy murmurs. "I'd just like to be left alone right now."

Jooheon is a terrible listener, and Minhyuk hates that he crumbles when he touches him, his small hand resting on his shoulder, sympathetic and affectionate. Minhyuk is instantly pressed to him, arms wrapped around his waist and burying his face into Jooheon's neck as an embarrassing, blubbery mess. Jooheon just holds him, silently, patting Minhyuk's back with a gentle hand, before leading Minhyuk out into the cold night, finding a bench a walk down from the club to plop down on.

"Why aren't you wearing warm clothes?" Jooheon frowns when Minhyuk shivers at the cold air, his crying now subdued to small hiccups and whimpers. "You could catch a cold."

"No," Minhyuk shakes his head as Jooheon tugs his arms from the sleeves of his coat, already easing it onto Minhyuk's shoulders, "Keep it."

"It's fine. I'm wearing a sweater."

He is, but it looks too thin, and Minhyuk would feel too bad leaving Jooheon to be cold just because he was too caught up in his boss to remember to grab his coat from the closet.

"I can't take your coat," he tries.

"And I can't just let you be cold."

Jooheon pushes the coat onto Minhyuk's shoulders and holds out the sleeves for him to hesitantly push his arms into. It's bigger on his thin frame, much like almost any jacket or coat that he wears, and when Jooheon zips it to his chin, he can perfectly feel his body heat clinging onto him, like a hug. A single tear slips from Minhyuk's eye and drips from his chin.

"Is my coat making you emotional again?" Jooheon laughs. Minhyuk groans and snuggles into his side, sniffing and rubbing at his face with the sleeves of Jooheon's coat. His hands are pale and icy, but Jooheon sandwiches them in his own, rubbing heat back into Minhyuk's hands as well as he can. 

"All my friends from college are getting married by now," Minhyuk mutters, tears falling to his neck, "or they're settling down, alone or with someone, and doing something that they love. Yet I'm stuck on some guy who doesn't even care about me, who's already doing all of these things when I'm not even close. Pathetic, right?"

"You're not pathetic," he tells him. "We can't really decide who we like, anyway. Sometimes it just happens."

Minhyuk nods. Jooheon's hands are still around his, warming up his fingers. "Yeah, I know."

"You should distance yourself from him," Jooheon suggests, "and then you can learn how to get over him. You can just stop going to places where he frequents, and make sure that you don't see him again until you're sure that you don't like him anymore."

"Yeah," Minhyuk nods, because there's no way he's going to explain that this guy is Jooheon's older brother, and his _boss._  But he's sure it can't be too difficult. Only recently has Minhyuk seen Hyunwoo more than usual. Normally, CEO Son's coped in his office, or somewhere else people are unsure of. He's certain that things will return to normal, that Hyunwoo will soon start feeling more like a figment of Minhyuk's imagination, and Hyungwon too. 

"You know, you're really great," Jooheon says, sheepishly. He releases his hands then, and Minhyuk looks back at them, frowning at the loss of Jooheon's touch. "I told you that, remember? And you shouldn't waste your time on people who are too blind to see that."

Minhyuk wraps his arms around Jooheon's shoulders, eyes fluttering closed at the cheek pressed to his own, soft and warm. "Thank you," he murmurs. Minhyuk isn't sure why he feels like crying when Jooheon hugs him back with two arms wrapping around his torso, but he holds it down and steadies his breathing, squeezing him a little tighter. "You're a good kid."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

Minhyuk laughs and sniffs, pulling away from him and wiping his face. "I'm sorry for being like this. You should probably go back inside."

"I'm not really in the mood," Jooheon shrugs. "Have you eaten?"

He thinks of the two bites he had of his sandwich, before Hyungwon arrived, and shakes his head.

"There's a place not too far from here that has the best pizza and wings," Jooheon excitedly tells him, eyes squinting as he smiles. "It's not well-known, though, so I'm pretty sure you've never tried it before and that's a sad life to live."

"Then I really need to try it."

"Exactly." Jooheon stands and waits for Minhyuk to come alongside him. "If you're not too cold, we don't need to take a cab. The walk is short."

Minhyuk nods and links their arms as they walk. It's the least he can do for Jooheon wearing a thin, wool sweater that barely covers his collarbones. They walk leisurely, Minhyuk watching the way Jooheon walks with one foot in front of the other, and then adopting his pattern.

"You seem to be familiar with being around here," Minhyuk mentions, casually. "Do you visit that club a lot?"

Jooheon hums in thought. "Not really. The night I met you, for Hyunwoo hyung's business party, that was my first time there."

"So, you've went there after that?"

"Kind of," Jooheon laughs. 

Minhyuk looks over at him, smiling. "You weren't looking for me, were you?"

It's meant to only be a joke, but the way Jooheon pauses at the question, swiping a pink tongue at his lips, Minhyuk doesn't seem to be that far off from the truth. "Looking for you, or looking for someone," Jooheon slowly says, as if each word is chosen carefully, "that's where answering that question gets complicated."

"It's not that complicated."

"Okay, it isn't, but that sounded better. And more poetic."

"It's okay," Minhyuk tells him, bumping their shoulders with a smile. "Between us."

They hook pinkies. "Between us," Jooheon confirms.

The two boys sit across from each other at the small restaurant, a light hung over their heads that dimly illuminates the large pan of New York-style pizza and plate of fiery chicken wings Jooheon had ordered for them. It's much warmer inside, so Minhyuk pulls his arms out of the coat, letting it rest on his shoulders because it's comforting and smells of baby powder.

"Fuck," Minhyuk sighs, dropping a few chicken wings on his own plate, and then, carefully, a steaming slice of pizza, "these wings are making me really want dakbal."

Jooheon contemplates this and bites into a wing. "Next time," he offers.

_Next time._ Minhyuk stares at his pizza slice, and then nods. "Okay."

"How have things been for you?" Jooheon asks. "You know, besides that guy."

"Pretty good, I guess. It's just been the same." Minhyuk smiles at him. "And you? Now that I know you're nineteen I can ask questions and expect honest replies."

He sharply exhales, sucking hot sauce from his fingers.

"Hey, kid, don't you know it's indecorous to blow your breath at seniors?"

Jooheon's laugh fills the restaurant, bright and happy. "I'm sorry, ahjussi. I've been doing well. I didn't start college last year so that I could travel, but I just started school a few days ago."

"Traveling," Minhyuk repeats, shaking his head. "I wish I could've thought of that."

"It was really just an excuse to get away from my family."

The older boy chuckles, and gulps down the water in his glass. "The family. They hate your major, don't they? It was, uh — oh yeah! Music composition."

"I didn't think you would remember that," Jooheon says, pink tinting his cheeks. He looks down at his plate with a small smile tugging at his lips. "My family are rather pissed off about the major, _especially_ my dad. They're pretty set out on me taking over the phone company whenever Hyunwoo retires, or something happens to him, but I'm not up for it."

"Wow," Minhyuk stupidly replies. His family is so simple that he's unsure how he's supposed to reply. He's always assumed business families were a little different, anyway, a bit more pressuring and maybe a bit more strict than the average family. He thinks about Jooheon and Hyunwoo's living room, how they'd already been taught to appear professional being so young. "That must really suck. Well, for both of you, really. Your family must be really disappointed."

"Oh, yeah, they're disappointed all right," Jooheon laughs, shaking his head. "But, well, I've always been different from my family. Look at Hyunwoo hyung and I, we're really different from each other. So they can't be too surprised."

Minhyuk pouts. "Aw, that's so sad. It seems so lonely."

"I'm not lonely," he laughs, stretching his arms over his head. "Everyone fits somewhere. I've found my place already."

Minhyuk concludes this with a nod. It's a little strange hearing a nineteen-year-old say that with such confidence when Minhyuk isn't so sure he can say the same for himself.

"Anyway, enough of that." Jooheon drops another wing onto his plate, and then reaches for another.

"You're barely finishing your chicken," Minhyuk comments. "What's the point of getting wings if you're going to take like two bites and then get another one?"

"I am finishing it," Jooheon claims. He carelessly lifts his brows at him, obnoxiously smacking his lips as he smothers his mouth into another bite. "Mind your own business."

"You eat like a toddler."

"Do not!" he shouts, just as he pulls away from the half-eaten wing to a mouthful of sauce. Minhyuk bursts into a laugh that his palm poorly silences, reaching for the case of napkins on the table. He thinks to clean it off for him, but Jooheon takes the napkin before Minhyuk has a chance to, wiping his mouth into it.

"You're so cute," Minhyuk chuckles. Jooheon just smiles and doesn't protest when the older boy reaches an arm over the table to steal the half-eaten wings from his plate.

"About before," Jooheon murmurs, suddenly nervous and fiddling with his fingers. He pauses his sentence there and drags his fingers through his hair, a dark strand looping over his brow. "Look, Minhyuk-ssi, I really shouldn't have lied to you."

"I know," he smiles, "and it's okay."

"It isn't okay, though." He frowns, and then pauses, slipping into his thoughts. "Is this weird? I just wanted to say that I'm not an asshole, I guess. I'll shut up now."

Minhyuk claps a hand to his mouth, trying not to laugh. 

"You're laughing at me," Jooheon pouts.

"No, I'm not laughing at you," Minhyuk shakes his head, and then bursts into giggles. 

"You're mean." Jooheon balls up a napkin and tosses it at him. Minhyuk only laughs harder. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I'll be nice," he promises, laughing. "You're just adorable."

Jooheon's cheeks flush, but then he beams, confidently throwing a peace sign up at him. If Minhyuk weren't too busy cleaning the meat off Jooheon's chicken bone, he probably would've thrown his own napkin weapon straight back at him. 

"Never mind," Minhyuk says, his laugh rattling the small restaurant at the drop of Jooheon's smile. 

They stay even after their plates are scraped clean. Minhyuk orders a soft-baked cookie for them to share, just to save some time to be with Jooheon and talk to him. It's stupid, but Minhyuk can't help thinking that it's never felt so easy to talk to someone. It's usually easy for Minhyuk to hold conversations and get comfortable around strangers, anyway. But it feels a little different with Jooheon. It feels as if they've already become close, as if they're connected through something different. Just the thought embarrasses him.

But also, Minhyuk isn't stupid. He knows how easy it is for him to become attached, and he's smart enough to know that this could mean nothing just as much as he feels as if it may mean something. He knows that sooner or later, he'll just end up disappointed, left with too many feelings. 

Minhyuk tries pushing the thought away, because then his mind is brought to Hyunwoo once again, and he really doesn't want to think about him.

"You should probably get back home now," Minhyuk says, glancing at the screen of his phone once they've split the bill. Every notification is from his hyung. Hoseok had called him an hour ago, and then spammed him with text messages when he hadn't answered, mostly apologizing and telling him to call back. Minhyuk just sends him a smiley face, because he doesn't feel like typing, and slips his phone back into his pocket. "I'm sure your parents are worried about their child by now."

"I'm an adult," Jooheon whines. Nonetheless, he stands to his boots, waiting for Minhyuk to pull his arms back through his coat before they step out into the cool air again. 

The night is moonless, but the city is still bright without it. Minhyuk can hear the faint pulse of the club only a few steps down the street, laughter trailing down the streets with the grumbles of exhausted high school students trudging back to their homes. There's a part of him sparked with energy, buzzing with the cognizance of there still being so much that they could do before the sun rises. But Jooheon yawns into the palm of his hand when Minhyuk looks at him. Quite ironically, actually.

"Are you going anywhere else after here?" Jooheon asks, still yawning.

"Besides home, no," Minhyuk says. He thinks about his warm bed at his house, and then contemplates inviting Jooheon over again so that he wouldn't have to travel so long by himself. But he pushes the thought away and taps Jooheon's arm, smiling. "Do you need me to walk you anywhere?"

"No! I'm an adult, remember?"

He simply laughs at this, slipping his hands into his pockets and rocking back and forth on the heels of his shoes. "Yup, of course."

A bus appears from the corner of his eyes, rolling down the street, and bringing a small crowd to gather at the stop. Jooheon trails his eyes over, and quickly turns to Minhyuk again. "I have to go now," he tells him. "That's the last bus going my way. I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Oh," Minhyuk nods, smiling, "yeah, okay."

Jooheon smiles back at him. "Feel better."

"Yeah, I will."

There's a sudden awkward atmosphere that surrounds them—fleeting, but nevertheless, palpable—as if they've played the whole night through nicely, but ending it is where it becomes a bit complicated and difficult. Minhyuk wonders if it were like this before, when he'd watched Jooheon disappear into a bus the first morning they'd spent together. But then again, it was different then. They've been sprung into an awkward situation that becomes evident at random, it seems.

Minhyuk gives him a quick, one-arm hug. Less sentimental than before, yet enough to bring a smile onto Jooheon's face. Just like that. 

"I'm going now," Jooheon tells him, probably because he's unsure how else to adjust to the tension finding its way wearing off. Minhyuk just smiles and nods.

He waves at him, and then jogs down the street towards the stop just as the bus decelerates to a pause. Minhyuk waits, like the first time he'd sent Jooheon off home, hands tucked in the warmth of his pockets, until Jooheon waves two hand at him with a smile and steps inside.

It's not until the bus has rolled away and disappeared with him that Minhyuk realizes he's still wearing Jooheon's coat.

 

. . .

 

Minhyuk tells himself that he won't end up at that club again, but Minhyuk is Minhyuk, and he finds himself ending up there anyway.

There's only one thing he's looking for. Or _someone,_ rather. The only reason why he's bothered contemplating a weekend that isn't spent with his Xbox. 

He finds Jooheon where he expects to find him. Sat by the bar, sipping something neon pink from a glass as his face dances in colors of light. Minhyuk pushes through swarming bodies, sweaty and intoxicated, and plops down beside him easily, like it only takes two times before something starts feeling natural and familiar. 

"Oh," Jooheon greets, lips sliding into a small smile, "you're here."

His jeans are black and tight around his thighs, a black tee of some band underneath the sleeves of a denim jacket that's noticeably been thrown into the washer machine too many times. Jooheon has his wavy hair over his forehead again, parted in the center with time and care, and Minhyuk sort of wishes that his skin didn't glow so angelically, that he weren't so beautiful just by sipping from a hurricane glass, smiling at Minhyuk as if he'd been waiting for him, as if he knew he'd end up here all along.

"I hate work," Minhyuk mutters. It's not why he's here, but it's something that makes sense and doesn't set him out to be desperate and clingy. He knows it doesn't look like he'd just came from work. His dark hair is styled messier than usual, less thought out, and he's actually wearing a shirt that's miraculously not for the company.

"Aw," Jooheon laughs. He lets Minhyuk finish off his cocktail and smiles at him when he brings the glass away from his lips, empty. "It's a bit boring here tonight."

"Really?"

Jooheon nods, but that doesn't matter. Not really.

It doesn't take long for the two boys to end up in a dingy bathroom, fumbling with belts and zippers, kisses sloppy and rushed and full of tiny giggles. Minhyuk isn't sure what he misses. He isn't sure if he misses the way Jooheon's tongue curls around his, the way his fingers trace his spine, the way he feels his chest and tousles his hair with the tips of his fingers, or if Minhyuk just misses how it feels to be touched by someone, and to touch someone, to taste them and kiss their skin. But nevertheless, he's exhilarated, as if he's never felt Jooheon before, as if he's never sank his teeth into him.

Minhyuk is pressed against the sink already spreading his thighs for him, the porcelain digging into the skin of his skinny hips so deeply that Minhyuk thinks it'd almost be unbearable if he weren't on such a high. Jooheon kisses his shoulder, softly, their eyes locking in the mirror as he trails his lips down his skin, peppering the goosebumps there, catching the shivers down Minhyuk's spine. There's something still innocent about Jooheon—a little light in his eyes that Minhyuk loves—but somehow he still makes him feel so dirty.

It's quick and straightforward. Jooheon fucks him right there into the sink, telling him that he's beautiful like this, bent over for him, that he's doing so well and feels so good, and Minhyuk's hips are covered in the ugliest bruises the next morning.

He can't really say what brings him back. Maybe he's just curious whether Jooheon will actually be there at the bar waiting for him.

He is. A round of empty shot glasses surrounding him that the bartender cleans away before wiping down his area with a damp washcloth. Minhyuk leans into his shoulder without having to say anything and Jooheon wraps an arm around his waist, tucking his hand into a pocket of Minhyuk's black jeans.

"You could use a drink," Jooheon slurs into his ear.

"I could," Minhyuk nods, and he lets Jooheon order for him.

It's something strong, served to Minhyuk in little shot glasses similar to Jooheon's, that tastes as if he's swallowing the scent of gasoline. Jooheon laughs at each of Minhyuk's cringes and the grimace that follows with each drop of an empty shot glass.

"You're such a child," Jooheon tells him. His smile is a little lopsided, like he's smirking. "If you drink it all in one go, then it won't be so bad."

"It's bad either way," Minhyuk disagrees, playfully defensive. The younger boy laughs and watches him slowly take the last shot glass into his hands (he seems to find it humorous that Minhyuk prefers holding his glasses carefully with both hands) and tips his head back to down it, a droplet dripping from his chin that he barely catches on a sleeve of his jacket.

Jooheon laughs again. "Minhyuk-ssi," he says, slowly. There's a pause, as if what else he'd meant to say had suddenly left him. "You should dance with me."

Minhyuk glances from the bar, where the light colors the floor beating the loud bass of a pop song, and lets Jooheon lead him through the crowd, letting his night merge together, blurring at the edges. Jooheon's body pressed against him, sweaty and hot, his tongue salty when he kisses him. Jooheon pressed into him in the back of his cab, and Minhyuk kissing him so much that his lips are bruised even before he has a chance to pull him through the front door of his house.

It becomes a cycle then, suddenly.

Somehow, It just _happens,_ in the way that the sun pulls the planets and the planets orbit the sun. From the morning Jooheon grips him by the arm on his way to the printer at work and locks the two boys in a stuffy janitor's closet without a word, his fingers hurriedly working along the buttons of Minhyuk's shirt between wet kisses and Minhyuk loving the lips against his neck too much that he doesn't want to stop any of it — to the other nights Minhyuk slips into the club for always one person, and Jooheon gives him what he wants in the dingy bathroom, or the bathrooms of the other bars Jooheon drags him off to with too many college students. Minhyuk never has to mind it, because he knows Jooheon will spend more time fucking him under a fluorescent light than drinking with a bunch of annoying teenagers.

And Minhyuk likes it like this. It's just fun. Something meaningless and exhilarating. A way to get a high with no attachments, no feelings. Like this, it's easy.

 

. . .

 

Kihyun gets a new office. It's on the same floor as Minhyuk's and much larger than his, which is nice if you don't consider the fact he's been forced to share it.

The large space is split in half with two desks on either side, seemingly smaller from the looks of it. Minhyuk feels a little bad for him. Kihyun's already annoyed that Hyunwoo's only response to his Shanghai request was that he'd surely think about it. Surely, meaning he's been putting Kihyun off ever since he'd brought it up at the club, and now his co-worker has been trying so hard to assure his plane ticket to Shanghai that it's apparently made Chae Hyungwon uncomfortable.

Minhyuk gets a bit of his gossip nowadays from going out for lunch with the ladies, which is an entirely different story. In brief, he can no longer look any of the staff in the eyes. 

"I hate it in here," Kihyun pouts when Minhyuk enters his office, smiling. It's a good morning—for Minhyuk, at least—with the president bedridden with the flu and settling the office with some peace of mind and less of an edge. He also sees Jooheon in the lobby arriving to work in the morning, a black cap over his wavy hair, and they share a smile when their eyes find each other. The moment is small and probably even in milliseconds, in fear of someone paying closer attention to their looks than they hope for, but it still leaves Minhyuk with a feeling of happiness.

"It'll get better,"  Minhyuk promises him, dropping a few papers onto his desk. He really has gotten better with being a personal assistant. His office is organized as well as it can be, and every message sent to the company e-mail instantly answered and read. Nevertheless, Kihyun is ten times better than him, and works like a machine under stress.

"Says the one with a good office," he murmurs. "I'm _this_ close to quitting."

Minhyuk pulls his lips into a sympathetic smile, although he knows Kihyun's just being dramatic. He may hate it in his office—actually, Minhyuk himself hates just standing on Kihyun's side of the room—but he's been around too long to just give it up over a claustrophobic office. "If you really don't like it, then you can always just have mine."

Kihyun waves him off, much like he has since Minhyuk first approached him with the offer. 

"I'd be fine without it," Minhyuk says. It's true. He loves having his own space with a closed door that locks and walls that no one can peek at him through, but nevertheless, there's Hyunwoo written all over it. Minhyuk has tried his best taking Jooheon's advice. Separating himself from Hyunwoo and trying to learn how to get over this silly crush he has. Being enclosed in an office that only evokes a single, unpleasant memory, isn't exactly helping.

Unfortunately, Kihyun rather just suffer and complain.

"I'll survive," he tells him, although he says this with a deep, exasperated sigh, and powers on his computer. "You know, life will be much harder than this when I'm working at a higher position at a different business, or even my own. If I can't deal with being in a closed-up office, then I can't handle this industry at all."

Minhyuk nods, as if he understands, but there's nothing about the business industry he can find at least remotely appealing. He wonders how someone can possibly think of this as a goal, as their dream.

"You would think throughout all your moping, there'd be much less talking," the man on the other side of the room grumbles. Kihyun and Minhyuk slowly look over, before Kihyun mumbles something about having to make a visit to a different department and dragging Minhyuk along with him.

"Damn," Minhyuk says, lowly, when he's walking alongside Kihyun in the hallway, having to jog to keep up with him, "I'm surprised you didn't rip his eyes out."

"If he weren't my senior, then I might have," Kihyun chuckles. "Sometimes it's just better to keep quiet, you know?"

Of course. One thing Minhyuk despises about business.

"It sucks that you're not enjoying yourself anymore," Minhyuk frowns. "You were made for this place."

Kihyun only smiles at him. "It's okay that I'm not enjoying myself, but at least someone is."

"Huh?"

He laughs then, and gives Minhyuk's collar a tug until the first button comes undone, exposing the hickey on his collarbone.

_"Hey!"_ Minhyuk's hands instantly fly to his neck, fingers hurriedly buttoning his collar again. "You can't just _do_ that."

"Then hide it better."

Kihyun seems to be good with justifying his actions unreasonably.

"I used to think you were innocent, but now I'm more observant," Kihyun tells him, a teasing smile on his lips. "And anyway, you and Hoseok used to always have gross conversations. You didn't even try to pretend to talk about work."

"Shut up," Minhyuk whines.

"Who did you shag, anyway? A vampire?" Kihyun is rather satisfied with his teasing, laughing, until a woman interrupts them, hair pulled back so tightly into a neat bun that her eyebrows appear unnaturally raised. 

"Kihyun-ssi," she says, bowing to the two boys, "I think you left this in the conference room."

Minhyuk doesn't realize she's holding a teddy bear in her hands until she extends it for a flushed Kihyun to take. It's small and a light brown, wearing a white tee shirt that Minhyuk doesn't have the chance to read before Kihyun's retrieving the teddy bear from the woman's hands so abruptly that she's startled.

"Thank you," Kihyun quickly says, and then just casually bolts off. 

Minhyuk awkwardly bows to her before leaving off to fall back into Kihyun's pattern of footsteps. He's never seen his colleague so flushed before that it's rather humorous.

"What is up with that?" Minhyuk asks, out of breath. He tries recalling the last time he's ever exercised, but gives up instantly, trying to focus more on matching Kihyun's strides. 

"What's up with what?"

"The teddy bear."

It's obvious Kihyun has no desire to talk about it. He hugs it to his chest and turns a corner. Minhyuk is unsure where they're even headed to. Not that he really cares. Finally, after all this time, something to _finally_ tease Kihyun with is right here within his reach. The day honestly couldn't get any better.

"It's nothing," Kihyun says, blushing ferociously and absently waving the teddy bear at him. "It's from my childhood, okay?"

"Your childhood," Minhyuk repeats. He can read the white tee shirt perfectly now.  _H+K,_ stitched in red. 

"My childhood," he confirms, nodding a little too frantically for it to pass as being anywhere near the truth. Minhyuk smiles, thinking of all the ways he could tease Kihyun with this. But he stops himself. He really needs to talk to his hyung, but first he needs to figure out what to do with this hickey from his vampire fuck buddy.

 

. . .

 

"It's just so strange," Minhyuk says, toweling at his hair as he steps into his bedroom. The room is cool from the cracked window, sending a shiver down his spine, but Jooheon's snuggled at the edge of his bed, comfortable, and happily petting a resting Jun with a socked foot dangling over the carpeted floor, that he doesn't bother shutting it. "He's always hated my hyung. I can't possibly imagine them being together."

"People are weird," Jooheon tells him, which seems to be the only explanation for this. "But there is definitely no way that your hyung isn't dating Kihyun."

It's not exactly smart jumping to conclusions, but Minhyuk thinks of Kihyun's flushed cheeks and frantic demeanor, and he knows that Jooheon is right, that there is really no other sensible explanation for why Kihyun had felt so protective over the teddy bear Hoseok had got him. 

"Definitely," Minhyuk murmurs. He tosses his towel in the hamper and pushes a hand through his damp hair, plopping next to Jooheon and slipping his chin onto his shoulder, a thin arm snaking around his waist. "You hungry, baby boy?"

"Well, duh," Jooheon laughs, smoothing a hand over Jun's cinnamon fur. "That was a complete work-out."

Minhyuk laughs at this and ruffles his hair, receiving the cutest scrunch of Jooheon's nose. "I'll order jajangmyeon then," he decides, more so to himself, reaching for his phone resting on the nightstand. "That's good with you?"

"Sounds good to me."

Minhyuk is too lazy to set up the table, but he assumes there's really no need to impress Jooheon anymore. Besides, they're just friends. The two boys sit on the floor of his living room, the way Minhyuk's actually most comfortable with, anyway, facing the TV as they serve themselves jajangmyeon, dumplings, and some pork Minhyuk experimented on with random spices before the delivery man arrived.

"So far this hasn't killed me," Jooheon says, impressed after a few hesitant chews of Minhyuk's pork.

He's surprised, honestly, digging his chopsticks into the bowl as Jooheon adds a little to his jajangmyeon. "It's actually good?"

"Um," Jooheon hums, laughing slightly, "it's edible."

"Edible is good enough," he shrugs, and then takes a slow bite. Minhyuk understands what he means without having to chew much, but all in all, he hadn't failed, or from the looks of it, no one seems to be in need of an urgent trip to the emergency room. That says something. He carefully tips his bowl for Jooheon to add a bit of pork into his jajangmyeon and curls up beside him for warmth.

"We should watch a movie," Jooheon suggests.

Minhyuk glances at the TV, playing a re-run of some variety show at a low volume. "Eh," he pulls a strand of hair behind Jooheon's ear, and struggles with it again as it falls back out of place, "I rather just talk. If that's okay."

"Oh. Okay," he smiles, before slurping a mouthful of noodles into his mouth.

"Have you told anyone about us?" Minhyuk suddenly questions. It's not really the best topic to start off with, but his mind works randomly, and he's never really thought of it before.

Jooheon wipes the chunjang from his mouth with a napkin. "Does it matter?" he asks.

"Well," Minhyuk shrugs, stuffing his mouth, "I kind of work for your stepbrother."

Jooheon lets out a soft laugh. "Do you think I'd tell my stepbrother who I'm fucking around with?"

"Stop it," Minhyuk groans, chuckling. "Okay, it's stupid to worry about that, but it still makes sense to ask, right? What if it gets out to the wrong person?"

"Like who?"

"I don't know." He sighs and pushes a hand at his hair, frowning. "I'm not making any sense, am I?"

"You sound like you're ashamed of me."

"Ashamed?" Minhyuk repeats, brows lifting in surprise. Jooheon casually nods and brings his chopsticks back to his bowl. "No, I just... CEO Son would flip his shit if he knew we're spending this much time together."

"Hyung doesn't do much flipping his shit, but I understand." Jooheon gets a dumpling and shoves it into his mouth. "It's fine. It's not anyone else's business, anyway."

"I'm not ashamed of sleeping with you," Minhyuk tells him, although he knows it's not entirely true. He smooths a hand over Jooheon's hair when he nods, softly smiling. "I'm just afraid to lose my job, you know?"

"Yeah,"  Jooheon says. "Don't worry; I get it."

Minhyuk squeezes his shoulder, and then awkwardly returns to eating when Jooheon doesn't look at him. Minhyuk wonders if maybe he should have just went ahead and found a movie for them to watch as the two boys slip into a silence. He's a little unsure whether or not Jooheon is angry with him. The question was meant to be innocent, and he doesn't seem angry, at least. He also won't look at him, and Minhyuk isn't even sure what the hell that means. They're still learning each other.

"Jooheon —"

"I've been meaning to tell you something," he interrupts. Minhyuk widens his eyes, and then he slowly sets down his chopsticks, becoming as nervous as Jooheon seems to be, avoiding his eyes.

"Uh," Minhyuk says, "what is it?"

"There's going to be a festival at my university," Jooheon tells him, words rushed. Minhyuk furrows his brows at him. "I'm sort of in a band. Well, no, not sort of. I'm in a band, and we're performing at this festival, so that's pretty cool. The festival won't be too big, at least I don't think so. My university is a private school, so it should be smaller than what you expect. You know, unless you graduated from a private school, then you should probably have a good picture of what it'd be like."

"Jooheon-ssi," the older boy laughs, a hand resting on his shoulder. "Do you want me to see you play?"

His cheeks flush instantly, the tips of his ears reddening. "Um, yeah?"

Minhyuk bursts into a laugh. "You idiot! Why are you so nervous? Of course I'd want to see you play!"

"It seems kind of stupid, I don't know," Jooheon murmurs with a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "It'll just be a bunch of college students, and I was afraid that you'd be uncomfortable with that, or think it's silly."

"I want to watch your band," Minhyuk states, officially. "What do you play?"

"Drums." 

"Drums? Jooheon-ssi, that's so cute!" He punches him in the shoulder lightly, but Jooheon still winces. "You're an asshole for not telling me you're in a band! I can't believe you never brought it up!"

"Sorry." He's loosened up, smile widening, as he plucks the last dumpling from the small plate sat in front of them. "So, you're going."

Minhyuk nods. "Of course I'm going."

"Okay, great," Jooheon replies, nodding too. He looks away, like he's trying to hide his smile, but Minhyuk still sees it as bright as day.

(There's a flyer that Minhyuk finds on his desk sometime later, cutely constructed and promoting the festival of a college Minhyuk can't remember the last time he's heard of. With a smile, he quickly slips the flyer into his briefcase and zips it away. Another little secret.)

 

. . .

 

 

 

The afternoon surprisingly isn't that chilly. It's two o'clock and a little sunny, so that Minhyuk is able to survive with a sweater without hating himself. He'd dressed with intentions to pass as a college student, but it became too complicated to clearly identify what exactly in appearance does a student's fashion sense become separated from a twenty-six-year-old's, that he'd just decided to put on whatever in his closet looked the most casual. Apparently it works. Minhyuk accidentally bumps into an older woman walking slowly in front of him with a bag of vegetables when he'd tried hurrying out of the bus.

(He forgets simple things when he's in a rush, like how there are people in existence who are in fact shorter than him.)

"Be careful, student," she says when he quickly rambles an apology, bowing. "If you don't watch where you're going, then you could get hurt."

Minhyuk rolls up the sleeves of his light pink sweater to his wrists and nods. "Of course."

Quickly, he heads towards the direction of Jooheon's college, smiling to himself. From his angle, he can't see much of the large university building, but it's as fancy as Minhyuk expects a private university to be. He stares for a while whilst he walks, wondering how difficult it is to get in, and if Jooheon is smarter than he thinks he is, before the beat of a pop song he hears nonstop on the radio reaches his ears and he's trailing after it with excitement.

Minhyuk expects a little festival from how Jooheon had explained it to him, but all in all, it is pretty huge. A large stage overlooks the tents and booths set up along the wide space, packed with students in groups scattered underneath the little lanterns connected and hung over each booth and tent, talking and laughing over food and drinks. Though, Minhyuk can see how if it were compared to a festival of his own college, then there'd be much more difficulty even getting inside here, which pretty much says a lot.

After paying to get inside, he stands by a dim-lit tent ridiculously set up behind a velvet rope, like it's a VIP lounge of some sort, and texts Jooheon to come and meet him. He thinks that he should have just taken Jooheon up on the offer to come with him, so then they wouldn't have to struggle with finding each other in such a vast space, but then again, he really wasn't up for driving in a car of college students. Minhyuk is sure that Jooheon's band friends aren't as annoying as he was in college—at least he's a little sure—it's just that he isn't sure how comfortable he would feel. At the thought of it, it'd probably be pretty awkward.

Generally, Minhyuk isn't really the top person of adulting, but it's still been quite a while since he's been a teenager. Despite Jooheon, Minhyuk can't even remember the last teenager he's spoken to. His life is mostly revolved around the company, and the youngest person who is actually interested in speaking to him more than two seconds is Kihyun, which he assumes doesn't really count since their positions force them to communicate with each other, and Kihyun never really seems that excited about having to speak to him. Besides, it's not like he expects Jooheon to feel too comfortable hanging around the colleagues he's managed to befriend who can range from late twenties to middle aged, so he doesn't have to feel weird about it.

"Hey," Jooheon smiles when he eventually finds Minhyuk standing by the tent. His hair is pushed into a black cap and he's wearing a baggy hoodie with just the Nike logo. Minhyuk pulls him into a short hug, keeping his arm around Jooheon's waist when he pulls away from him. "The performances don't start until six, so you have me all to yourself for nearly three hours. Maybe two. I have to prepare with the band, and get dressed."

"You mean you're not performing with that hoodie?"

"Unfortunately," Jooheon laughs. "Have you eaten?"

Minhyuk has eaten, but he still wants more food, and, anyway, him and Jooheon haven't really attempted doing anything together that doesn't involve eating and fucking, so he says that he hasn't. They walk together with slow steps, pushing through the students gathered around, to find a food vendor that they find the most interesting. The two boys accidentally float away from each other when a group comes flooding through, walking distractedly as they link onto their friends, laughing about something. It's only a minute or two that Minhyuk doesn't know where Jooheon is, but he holds his hand when they find each other again. Only because he doesn't want to lose him.

"Nachos!" Minhyuk exclaims, pausing his steps and tugging on Jooheon's hand to stop with him. "There's a vendor selling nachos."

"I understood that," Jooheon replies with a smile. "But let's look for something else. I'm not really in the mood for nachos."

"But if you love me, like I know you do, you'd get me nachos," he tells him, resting his chin on Jooheon's shoulder and staring up at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Jooheon-ssi?"

"What if I don't love you?"

Minhyuk nearly hits him, but Jooheon turns away before he can even lift his unoccupied hand, leading them to the vendor with nachos. "If I'm getting nachos, then you're getting me a chicken stick."

"Okay, fine," he grins. Minhyuk's just satisfied they're getting nachos.

They fall in line behind a group of noisy guys gathering at the food vendor. Minhyuk slips his chin back onto Jooheon's shoulder as they wait, pulling away his hand from his and wrapping two thin arms around Jooheon's waist instead.

"Did you see the Ferris wheel?" Jooheon asks. Minhyuk looks up, noticing the inanimate Ferris wheel in the distance, and nods, even though it's his first time really looking at it. "We'll be able to ride it when the sun goes down. I think we should get on it once my performance is over with."

Minhyuk smiles, arms absently tightening around him. "Isn't that a bit romantic?"

"It doesn't have to be," Jooheon quickly says. He purses his lips, and then looks away. "Just forget I asked."

"Stop." Minhyuk laughs and pushes his weight against Jooheon so that he stumbles. His mouth opens again to speak, but then the group of guys are loudly stalking off with their food, leaving the two boys to order. Jooheon gets Minhyuk's large tray of beloved nachos (with extra cheese, which took a lot to convince Jooheon was necessary,) and two spicy chicken sticks, although he hadn't asked for it. Not that Minhyuk's really complaining about being offered more food. In the end, Jooheon ends up paying for all of it.

"So, there's a shitload to do," he says as they walk through the tents. He pulls a cheese-smothered nacho from Minhyuk's tray, despite himself, and shoves it into his mouth. "The question is, what should we do?"

"Hm, I don't know," Minhyuk murmurs with his eyes scanning the tents. "This is your college, what do you want to do?"

"Honestly," Jooheon replies, pushing his fingers into Minhyuk's nachos again, "I just want to get drunk."

Minhyuk shakes his head as the younger boy breaks into a laugh. "You can't get drunk, idiot. You're going to perform."

"I play best when I'm drunk," Jooheon claims. Finally, he tends to his own food, and bites into it, happily chewing. "It's mostly necessary for when we play at bars. I'm never sober at bar gigs; it's an unwritten rule."

"Because everyone is drunk off their asses, they probably can't even tell the difference."

Jooheon laughs again and takes another bite of his chicken stick. "I'm serious, though. Let's get drunk. Let's get very drunk."

After they finish their food, Minhyuk expects for them to hide out in a tent downing hard liquor, but instead he finds himself in a chair sipping some weird cocktail Jooheon orders for him, even though it's around fifty degrees in the middle of March. Apparently, cocktails are what Jooheon likes best.

"Drinking with swag!" Jooheon cheers, raising his glass to him. Minhyuk is pretty sure the blended piña colada he'd ordered isn't really the equivalent of swag, but he cheers and knocks their glasses, taking a short, curious whiff of his mystery drink's sweet scent before sipping from the straw. "I can't believe I actually convinced that guy to make us this."

"Being charismatic does take you a long way," Minhyuk replies, mostly joking, but he thinks Jooheon takes it as a compliment. "We should check out everything else after this. Someone was selling beanies that I really wanted to take a look at."

"And probably make me pay for." Jooheon finishes off his drink with one last suck of his straw, and pushes his chair back. "Hurry up."

Minhyuk makes a face at him, but waits until Jooheon leaves for another drink to duck out the straw and down the glass in one gulp. The younger boy returns with a single empty glass this time, tucked under his arm, and a hand occupied with a large bottle.

"Don't tell me you bought an entire bottle," Minhyuk laughs.

"I just decided it'd be best to buy the whole thing," he casually explains. "I don't know what language this is in, so I'm not really sure what we're drinking —"

"You don't even know what it is."

"Hey, it doesn't matter," Jooheon says. He pops open the bottle with some difficulty, and then partially fills a glass, sliding it across the table for Minhyuk to take into his hands.

"This is probably going to be gross," he groans, laughing at his own hesitance. "I'm afraid."

Jooheon shrugs, smiling. "Do it for a good time."

Reluctantly, he tips his head back, swallowing around a strong taste of cinnamon. It's as terrible as Minhyuk expects of it, but somehow he survives enough to not set the glass back down until it's empty. "Okay," he rasps, hitting a fist to his chest, "I admit that wasn't too bad."

"You did it!" Jooheon applauds, laughing and clapping his hands together. Minhyuk takes the bottle from the table and fills the glass for Jooheon, twisting the top on and pushing it over for him to drink.

"You should just live simpler," Minhyuk murmurs. The burn is still in his throat. He coughs. "Just survive off beer and soju, like every other nineteen-year-old."

"Beer is boring," is Jooheon's defense, fingers wrapping around the glass. "I drink soju, but I told you that I like cocktails the best."

Minhyuk doesn't bother pushing on it. He'd be a wreck if they drank soju together. Two shots, and he's drunk.

Jooheon slightly turns away from him and downs the glass, face scrunching with a hand held at the bottom for him to easily drink it all in, and drops it back to the table. They pass the glass off back and forth, until Minhyuk decides that his desire to find whoever is selling the beanies is becoming too strong. He swings an arm around Jooheon's waist, and then they set off to find it.

"The band I am in is a great band," Jooheon is telling him. "It's called High Pitch." 

Minhyuk laughs at this. "High Pitch?" Confidently, Jooheon smiles, nodding. "Can your vocalist not stay in key?"

"The vocalist doesn't play the piano," he says. "We have a pianist who plays the synthesizer. He's great. And our vocalist, great. Great vocalist. Great guy. Doesn't play the piano, though."

"I want to learn how to play the piano," Minhyuk frowns. "When I was younger, I always said I wanted to do stuff. I wanted to publish children's books and move to Beijing and eat more strawberries and learn how to play the cello —"

"Cello?" Jooheon questioningly interjects. 

"Yes, the cello."

"The cello is a bit random."

Minhyuk means to point at him, but he accidentally jabs his finger into his chest. "Exactly."

"Oh," Jooheon nods, "yup, I get it. Cello."

"I also wanted to get muscles," Minhyuk murmurs, mostly to himself.

"I'm still in a phase where if I wanted to get muscles, I totally could, so I always feel pressured," Jooheon says, shaking his head. "I _should_ get muscles! I sprain my arm whenever I open the refrigerator."

Minhyuk frowns. "Oh, no! Is your arm all right, Jooheon-ssi?"

"Yes, I was just telling a joke," the younger boy laughs. Minhyuk tries to understand, but using his brain is too difficult. His frown shifts into a pout, eyebrows furrowed. "It's impossible to sprain your arm by opening the refrigerator, so that makes it funny."

"But I don't think it's funny. I don't want to think about you getting hurt."

"Oh," Jooheon frowns then, "I guess I didn't think about it like that. I'm sorry. I'll be careful so that I won't get hurt."

It's enough to make Minhyuk smile. He reaches his hand out to ruffle Jooheon's hair like how he knows that he hates it, (yet still tolerates, because Minhyuk finds it too damn cute,) but his hand only lingers, confused, once it's not met with Jooheon's hair and instead the cap he'd forgotten he was even wearing. Awkwardly, he settles for petting him.

They end up in a different tent and place their same bottle on the table again. The two boys are given a tiny glass this time that Minhyuk and Jooheon pass back and forth between each other again. Jooheon glances at his phone every once in a while, just in case the band tries to get in touch with him, and so he can keep track of time. Minhyuk thinks that good. That Jooheon's being responsible, and that phones exist with times on it. Right now, Minhyuk doesn't feel as if he's even connected to time at all.

"You know," Jooheon says once he drops his glass back to the table, and tips the bottle to refill it for the older boy, "our noses are always just  _there."_

"Yeah," Minhyuk nods. "A part of a face."

"But, like..." It takes a pause for Jooheon to gather his thoughts, forming his hands as if they're holding a ball, and staring at them intently. "Like, it's always just there. We always see our noses."

Minhyuk watches him as he slides the tiny glass across the table for him to drink and downs it much easier than before. "No, we don't."

"The truth I am telling is a big fucking truth, man," Jooheon says. "Listen, we are always seeing our noses, but we just ignore it. Weird, right?"

"That's so fucking weird."

"So fucking weird. It's like our brain or something. It just ignores it."

"So," Minhyuk narrows his eyes, trying to entirely comprehend it, "we always see our noses, but our brain just ignores it?"

"Yup."

Minhyuk stares off, and then shakes his head. "Weird."

"So weird."

His hand is a bit unsteady, but he still tries pouring as much as he can into Jooheon's glass. As much as he can turns out to be nothing. Minhyuk wishes things didn't have to be so hard, like accurately pouring drinks. Frustrated, he tries again, and then accidentally overfills the tiny glass, sending the alcohol spilling over the rim and onto the tabletop in one quick shot.

_"Hyung!"_ Jooheon gasps. He pauses then, and smacks a hand over a shocked smile. "I'm so sorry, hyung! Fuck, I called you hyung again!"

"It's okay," Minhyuk tells him. "We should speak more comfortably with each other, right? We are getting close, right?"

"We are getting close. That is true," he nods with a small smile. "Um, so, hyung will call me 'Jooheon-ah' now?"

"Yeah."

Jooheon nods, pleased with this response. "Okay."

 

. . .

 

Minhyuk easily adjusts without having Jooheon by his side. He ends up buying himself more food, the beanie he'd wanted, and an adorable Apeach key chain that he doesn't really need, but is too hard to resist. Minhyuk ends up meeting a few people along the way, buzzing everywhere he can with conversation, but their names and faces are all pushed to the back of his mind once six o'clock rolls around. The festival show begins almost instantly, the large stage illuminating a group of girls performing a buchaechum dance. 

It takes quite a bit for Minhyuk to shoulder through enough people to find a place beside a couple where he can get a good angle. Jooheon had told him it'd be best to find a spot a little ahead of time and stay there until the show began, but being alone, Minhyuk has a little trouble keeping his mind in one place, especially once he found a vendor selling rice cakes, and then ended up making some friends as he waited in line who he followed to more vendors.

There's more performances, one after the other. A hip-hop dance team Minhyuk records with his phone to show Hoseok later, three rappers covering a song everyone in the audience except seemingly Minhyuk has heard of, and some rookie idol group who have the student standing beside him hysterically screeching until they finally leave the stage. Minhyuk is impatient by the time a soloist comes on stage, impressively performing some contemporary song on a gayageum. He searches around in all the pockets of his whitewash jeans, trying to find the flyer to see whenever Jooheon's band comes on to play, but it's nowhere to be found.

Minhyuk pouts. He's so bad with keeping up with things. He must've been so excited to see Jooheon that he'd accidentally left it behind on the bus.

More waiting. Minhyuk sends the hip-hop performance to Hoseok, dances along to a group of guys performing the choreography of a GFriend song, and makes at least five friends that he pretty quickly ends up losing in the audience, until a crew begins to rearrange the microphones on stage and brings out a synthesizer and guitar amps. Minhyuk is pretty convinced that he'll take violent action if he doesn't see Jooheon walk on stage in the next two point five seconds.

He shoulders closer when the drum set is finally brought on to the stage, Jooheon's band name printed on the bass drum head and igniting Minhyuk with energy. It takes a few more adjustments before the crew finally exits and the stage lights dim slightly. There's a vibration against his thigh. Minhyuk pushes a hand into his pocket and scans his eyes over Hoseok asking him where he is. Honestly, Minhyuk's a little unsure how to answer that. He's an idiot for not thinking of an explanation beforehand. 

Minhyuk doesn't really go a lot of places without inviting his hyung along, or at least, telling him that he's going. There's even been a time Minhyuk woke up at two AM, hungry with nothing he wanted in the cabinets, and forced Hoseok to go grocery shopping with him just because. Minhyuk worries that his hyung will feel like he's being left out of his life, but he's distracted when a light applause spreads over the audience, and he's instantly pocketing his phone as a group of guys walk into the stage, and Jooheon.

His hair is straightened and deliberately styled up with what looks like a shitload of hairspray; his hoodie now replaced with a black graphic tee underneath a dark blue bomber jacket. Minhyuk really thinks it's become a weakness of his to see Jooheon in ripped jeans. Now, is no exception.

Jooheon looks into the audience as he heads to his drum kit, eyes squinted, until he finds Minhyuk's face and his lips are instantly stretching into a wide smile. Minhyuk grins back at him and mouths for him to do well, but Jooheon has already looked away, pulling his drumsticks from the back pocket of his jeans and plopping down onto his chair. 

Someone bumps into Minhyuk, just as the lead vocalist announces them to the audience.

"Sorry," a dark-haired boy murmurs, two Solo cups in hand. He pauses, and then trails his eyes up to Minhyuk through the circled frames of his glasses. He bows. "Hello."

"Hi, Changkyun-ssi," Minhyuk flashes him a friendly smile and lowers his head to him. "I didn't expect to see you here. Are you doing well?"

"I'm doing well," Changkyun replies with a small smile. "Do you go here?"

"Oh, no," he quickly says, awkwardly laughing. He doesn't know why he feels a little strange, why it hurts him a little that Jooheon hasn't talked about him enough for Changkyun to not know the answer to that question. He nearly tells him that he's graduated a few years ago, but he's unsure whether or not Jooheon wants his best friend to know that and pauses. Luckily, Jooheon pulls the attention away from their conversation, hitting his drumsticks together and counting to four in English before the lights flash, bleeding the stage in purple and waving in the first loud verse of their song all at once.

It's something that sounds like a pop take on rock, catchy and vibrant. Changkyun nods his head to the beat of Jooheon's drums and suddenly drifts away into the crowd without saying goodbye.

Minhyuk feels rather proud watching Jooheon on stage, bouncing with a ball of energy. He's pretty sure that Jooheon can't hear anything that isn't his band, but he makes sure he cheers the loudest. It's cute seeing him so passionate and loose, and, well, simultaneously hot. The combination doesn't quite make sense, but it's so very possible. Minhyuk blames the fact he's seen Jooheon naked so many times that it makes not getting a bit warm at how hard he bangs his drums rather impractical.

He inwardly laughs at himself. _What has Jooheonie done to me?_

The band only play two songs. Jooheon's glistening in sweat once their performance is over, or more accurately, drowning in it. His bomber jacket is slung over his shoulder, and he's breathing heavily with two hands on his hips, but smiling. Minhyuk blows a kiss when Jooheon finds his eyes again. The younger boy laughs at this and dramatically claps two hands to his heart before bowing to the audience and jogging off after his bandmates.

They meet each other half an hour later by the same tent. Jooheon is changed back into his hoodie with the pair of ripped jeans still clung to his alluring thighs and his makeup is only a little smudged. His lips are a sugary pink that Minhyuk hadn't noticed from his distance before. He isn't really sure why, but he feels the sudden urge to kiss it right off his lips.

"Jooheon-ssi," Minhyuk happily greets. He pauses and shakes his head. "Jooheon-ah, you did really well!"

"You think so?" Jooheon's flustered, sheepishly hooking his fingers on the nape of his neck with a wide smile.

"You were so lively. It was nice. Your whole band is nice, but especially you." He stops himself from ruffling Jooheon's hair, since it's clearly been styled so carefully, even if it's a little messy now from his performance, and hugs him instead, squeezing him tightly against his body. 

"Thank you." Jooheon wraps his arms around him too, and then lets them fall back to his sides. Minhyuk decides that he feels too warm and nice against him to pull away. He assumes it's okay for him to still hold him, and Jooheon doesn't seem too bothered.

"You are so cool, baby boy," he says, pinching his cheeks. Jooheon laughs at this and lets Minhyuk absently sway the two of them side-to-side. "Jooheonie is so cool."

"If I knew I'd get this much love, I would've told you that I play the drums sooner," Jooheon says. 

Minhyuk laughs and rests his forehead on Jooheon's shoulder for a moment. "Yeah, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I don't know. I guess I didn't think that you'd care."

"Of course I'd care," Minhyuk tells him. He lifts his head and smiles at him, arms squeezing Jooheon's soft torso again. "You're my friend. I want to know everything about you."

Jooheon chuckles at this, cheeks pink. "I'll keep that in mind."

Minhyuk kisses his dimple without having to think of it and lets his lips trail to his jawline, peppering kisses there that has Jooheon giggling. "Guess what, Jooheon-ah?"

"What is it?"

His lips linger right over his ear, voice low. "You're the hottest drummer."

It's only after Jooheon bursts into a laugh that he realizes it sounded much sexier in his head. Minhyuk laughs too. He has never really been good with this. Only stupid things leave his mouth, and he always makes himself cringe. Much like how it is whenever he tries being sappy. Minhyuk can be a bit cheesy, but that doesn't stop him from feeling the embarrassment from it.

He tilts Jooheon's chin up with a finger. "There's no way I'm letting you go home tonight. You do realize that, right?" 

Jooheon nods, smiling, and Minhyuk pulls him in closer, now that it feels safe to do so, kissing the sugary pink off his lips.

 

. . .

 

It's so silent that Minhyuk can faintly hear a leaf blower far off in the distance. Jooheon is still asleep beside Jun, legs tangled in the wrinkled bedspread, his dark hair tousled on the white pillowcase. He's lying on his back with a hand resting on his bare, chubby belly, an arm tucked behind his head and squishing his cheek against his bicep, puckering his lips. He's so cute and so beautiful that as soon as Minhyuk flutters his eyes to sunlight that morning he feels inspired.

It's been hours that the man has been snuggled in a chair pulled from his living room. It takes a while for him to find a sketchbook in a closet he doesn't really care to ever go into, pushed into his old backpack from university. He knows there's another sketchbook lying around from somewhere, nearly untouched and neglected, but his university sketchbook is the only one he can find, full of the rough drafts of the ugly portfolio he'd put together for his university submission. Nearly all of the pages are full of his drawings, but eventually he finds a blank page that he fills all of Jooheon. 

It's difficult easing back into the fashion of drawing, reconnecting with the feel of a pencil in his fingers he's used to holding with intentions of doodling something quickly and without care, and making out the shape of Jooheon's small eyes in a way that he deems good enough. It takes some sighing, a bit of soft groans, a little squinting at Jooheon's still face, and a lot of erasing, for Minhyuk to find his style again, the pleasure that comes with drawing, and then it's all business. His pencil moves quickly across the paper, creating big-cheeked chibi versions of Jooheon drumming from last night, Jooheon with a face stuffed of jajangmyeon, Jooheon smiling, dimples deep.

He works in the center of the paper to draw Jooheon's sleeping figure in a different style. The way his hair falls over his eyebrow, the dimple of his cupid's bow, how his top lip's slightly thinner than his bottom that's a bit more plush and dark, the skinny bridge of his nose. 

Jooheon stirs, lips twitching, before he relaxes again. Minhyuk's shading his fluffy hair when Jooheon stretches his arms and scratches at his belly, eyes fluttering open with squinted eyes from the bright leak of sunlight. He pushes a hand at his hair, fingers lacing through the silky strands, before he pets the sleeping cat beside him.

"Hyung," Jooheon calls in a rasp. Slowly, he trails his eyes over to Minhyuk in the chair, knees up with the sketchbook resting against his thighs. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to draw you," he murmurs with a timid smile. "Sorry, I know that that's weird."

"I've woken up enough times to you staring at me for it to not be weird," Jooheon grins. 

Minhyuk hides the heat in his cheeks behind his sketchbook.

"Should I pose?" he asks, pulling himself into a sitting position and stretching his legs. His eyes trail across the carpeted floor where they'd left their clothes the night before, probably searching for his boxers, but he doesn't bother going after them once he sees he'd left all his clothes across the room. 

"No."

Nevertheless, Jooheon dramatically looks over his shoulder, lips falling open in an attempt to look erotic. "This is my boy crush look," he explains.

Minhyuk pulls his pillow from the bed and chucks it at Jooheon's face.

"Don't make me throw Jun at you," Jooheon pouts. He throws a sock at him instead, the only clothing that he has on, and grabs the pillow Minhyuk had attacked him with to hug to his chest.

"I'm done," Minhyuk laughs with a leg dropping to the floor. He's a little surprised that his legs haven't gone numb with how long he's sat in the same position, folded Indian style. Jooheon instantly jumps to his feet and lets Minhyuk pull him into his lap to show him the sketchbook. "It's not my best, but —"

"You told me that you only draw a little," Jooheon interrupts, smiling at the page. "I'm so cute! Hyung, I can imagine this as a comic!"

"Oh," Minhyuk chuckles, "it's not like that..."

He reaches his hand out for the sketchbook in his hands. "Can I?"

Reluctantly, Minhyuk nods, and lets Jooheon take his sketchbook, snaking his arms around his torso and slipping his chin onto his shoulder. It feels strange showing him his drawings. Minhyuk hasn't really shown a person who doesn't have intentions to critique them, set aside his hyung and family. "They're not that good at all. I was like your age and obsessed with manhwa."

"You're crazy. This is so cool." Minhyuk's cheeks heat up. He hides his smiling face in Jooheon's neck as he continues flipping through the drawings Minhyuk can faintly remember creating. It's really been a while since he's even saw drawing as something that he can do, something that he's good at and makes him happy. He misses it a little. "Can I keep the drawings of myself?"

"Um, no."

Jooheon frowns. "Then will you draw more?"

"Of course, baby boy," Minhyuk smiles, gently patting Jooheon's stomach when he retrieves his sketchbook and sets it aside. "Get up."

"Why?" Jooheon murmurs. He tips his head back and rests it on Minhyuk's shoulder, eyes fluttering closed. 

"I'm hungry. I'm going to toast some bread for us." With a groan, Jooheon hands off the sketchbook and stands onto his feet, yelping when Minhyuk smacks his ass. "And go put some fucking clothes on."

Jooheon flips him the bird, and they both laugh as he goes to find the clothes Minhyuk had pulled off him the night before. With a smile, the older boy fixes his eyes on the sketchbook, closed and resting on his nightstand, before he gets up with a soft sigh to finally begin his day.

 

. . . 

 

Minhyuk invites Hoseok out for a coffee shop downtown where it's noisy with the tapping of fingers to the keyboards of laptops, and the air smells thickly of coffee creamer. They sit near a tan-painted wall in the back of the shop at a clean, circled table, silently sipping from cups across from each other. Minhyuk hates himself, because he's been trying to tell Hoseok about Jooheon for a while now, yet he chickens out and changes the subject as quickly as he can, right when he's tried so hard to properly lead up to it.

It shouldn't be this hard. It's  _Hoseok,_ his hyung, the older brother he never had. He tells him everything, even all the embarrassing things that Hoseok always promises not to laugh at and does anyway.

_But Jooheon shouldn't be embarrassing,_ he thinks to himself, swallowing the last sip of his coffee. He knows this as well as anything. He knows that in the end Jooheon is just a guy. His friend, who he may or may not fuck around with once in a while. It shouldn't be this hard. He knows in his heart that it shouldn't.

"You're fidgeting so much," Hoseok tells him, curiously. He looks into Minhyuk's empty cup with a frown. "You really should cut down on the caffeine."

"I'm fine," Minhyuk smiles, before waving over a waiter for a refill. He thinks that maybe he should've dragged his friend off to a bar instead. Surely the process of this would be much easier if they were at least a little tipsy. He happily nods to the man who refills his cup and returns to the table he was cleaning. "Just thinking a lot."

Hoseok stares at him, suddenly concerned. "Uh oh."

Well, maybe that wasn't the way to go about this.

"No, no, no. It's not like that," he quickly tells him, setting down his steaming cup and frantically shaking his hands at him. "I'm just trying to get my thoughts together, and it's, I don't know, a little hard."

"If you're not talking about it, then it must be," Hoseok says. He sips from his cup rather loudly and sets the phone in his hand aside to focus his attention primarily on his best friend. "Just say it out loud. It doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense."

Minhyuk props his elbow up on the table, nervously darting his eyes between Hoseok's concerned eyes and the steam rising from the mug. "Hyung," he sighs, pouting, "I'm scared about what you'd think."

"Why?"

It's a pretty good question. A great one, actually. Hoseok has never judged Minhyuk before, and there's been quite a bit of weird and rather questioning things Minhyuk has done in his life, so that says a lot. All in all, Hoseok is the least judgmental person that there is, and God, he knows that this shouldn't be this fucking hard.

_"Ugh."_ Minhyuk pushes his hands to his face. "I don't know."

Hoseok grins at him.

"Why are you smiling?"

"You're just cute," he tells him, as if that makes any sense. He sips from his coffee again and picks up his phone, crossing a thigh over the other. "It makes me happy that my opinion means so much to you."

"Oh, please," Minhyuk laughs. "Does your ego really have to come in right now?"

Hoseok laughs along with him.

"Hyung, I'm..." he trails off, nervously fiddling with his fingers underneath the table, and then sighs. _Why is this so hard?_   "I've been thinking about going back to school."

Minhyuk doesn't know where that even came from, but it's not a lie. Not really. He just hasn't given the idea that much thought, and it's nowhere near what he wanted to tell Hoseok. He decides that it will do, though, because his hyung is looking away from his phone again and smiling at him as if he's said that he's having a child.

"Going back to school?" he repeats. "For what?"

"I think that I want to teach art," Minhyuk says, sheepishly. He exhales and tries to look less anxious, more convincing. "To elementary students. Maybe first and second grade."

"Why were you so scared to tell me that? I think it's a really good idea."

Minhyuk smiles at him, hooking his fingers around the hook of his cup.

"I think that we're both in a time in our lives when it's the most important to be doing something that we're happy with," Hoseok tells him. He looks so proud of his friend that it makes Minhyuk feel like absolute shit. "I work at a nursing home now. It's more relevant towards my degree, and I'm much happier with it than selling cars that no one wants to buy. I think that you should quit your job too and focus on becoming a teacher."

It dawns on Minhyuk how much time he really has been spending with Jooheon. He hadn't even questioned why Hoseok wasn't around the company as often as he's used to. He'd only thought that it gave him a lot of time to make out with Jooheon in his office.

"I'll give it more thought," Minhyuk decides on saying.

Hoseok nods. "Get over that boss, okay?"

With pursed lips, he nods and stares at the brown of his coffee. He can always tell Hoseok about Jooheon later.

_Later,_ then he'll be ready. Later is good.

 

. . .

 

Minhyuk interlaces his fingers with Jooheon, happily swinging their hands back and forth between the two  of them as they walk along the sidewalk with slow steps. The air actually feels on the warm side today, but not warm enough to get by with short sleeves. Minhyuk doesn't really have to worry about that, though. His work uniform doesn't allow much flexibility. He's wearing a pale yellow Oxford today, the tie he'd worn to work this morning now tucked away in the pocket of his dress pants. It doesn't even look like he should be standing next to Jooheon, who's literally in joggers.

"Is this where we're going?" Minhyuk asks, pointing a finger to the fancy cake shop a little further down the street.

Jooheon squints at where Minhyuk's pointing, and then to the screen of his phone where they'd been following a GPS since leaving the bus. "Yup," he says.

"Come on then." He tugs on Jooheon's hand, waiting for him to shove his phone into a pocket of his pants, before they're quickening their footsteps down the street to the cake shop Hyungwon had pleaded him to go to.

Minhyuk had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but, fortunately, Jooheon had been in the right place at the right time. Earlier this morning, Minhyuk lingered in the lobby near the water cooler, where one of the interns were informing him of the latest office gossip (someone he'd befriended actually in that exact moment,) when Hyungwon entered the building, brows furrowed and hands pocketed, as if he was too concentrated on something, or angry. Minhyuk can never really tell with Hyungwon. He pretty much always looks angry when he isn't smiling.

Frankly, Minhyuk wasn't too concerned with why Hyungwon had furrowed brows, but he was curious. Curious enough that he bowed goodbye to his new friend, and interrupted Hyungwon's footsteps headed towards the elevator. "Hi, Hyungwon-ssi," he greeted with a friendly smile. Hyungwon didn't look too interested in having someone speak to him, but once he'd realized it was Minhyuk standing across from him, he'd managed a smile. "It's been a while since I've seen you around here."

"I've been staying in South Africa for quite some time," Hyungwon casually replied, as if this is a normal occurrence in the average person's every day life.

"Oh, of course," Minhyuk nodded with a smile. "Well, welcome back. I just came over here, because, well, you look, I don't know, upset?"

"Upset?" he lowly repeated. Hyungwon pulled his hands from his pockets and placed them on his hips. "No, I'm not upset. I'm pissed off."

It was said so calmly that Minhyuk had to force down the laugh bubbling in his throat. "Did something happen?"

Hyungwon pursed his plush lips, eyes trailing to the man behind the desk, jumping once their eyes lock and pretending to be engrossed with the computer monitor in front of him. "Promise you won't say anything to anyone," he whispered.

"I promise," Minhyuk told him, nodding. He lifted a pinkie finger to him, and then slowly lowered it when Hyungwon only gave him a strange stare.

"Me and Hyunwoo planned to go cake tasting today for our wedding a fucking month ago. We'd made an appointment with a cake shop and I'd wrote it on his schedule and everything so that he wouldn't forget, but then this morning I found out that he'd spent the night in his damn office again," he sighed, shaking his head. "He told me that he forgot all about it, and now he has plans. Plans, Minhyuk-ssi. Our wedding is in June, and he has plans. I should've just stayed in Cape Town if I knew this would happen. What the hell am I supposed to do now?"

"Wow," Minhyuk said, eyes widening, "that sounds very upsetting."

"I know that this is a life that I chose. I knew what I was getting myself into, right? I thought that me and Hyunwoo's busy schedules would work well with each other, because my modeling career is so demanding of me too. But we're getting fucking married. It's not fair that I put my career aside for him all the time. In my life, Son Hyunwoo comes first. And Hyunwoo? Well, he falls asleep in his office." Hyungwon pulled his eyes to the floor of the lobby, squeaky clean, and blinked his eyes a few times, over and over again, until he slowly looked back up to Minhyuk. Surprisingly, he let out a laugh. "What am I doing? Putting this all on you. Forgive me, Minhyuk-ssi. It's not normal for me to just rant about my feelings like this. I guess I'm just so tired of locking this up inside."

"No, it's okay," he smiled, placing a hand to Hyungwon's shoulder, and then quickly dropping it by his side at the realization of what he just did. 

"What do I do? What do I do?" Hyungwon groaned. He pushed a hand through his hair, sighing, and somehow it perfectly falls back into place. "What do I do? The cake shop is expecting us to be there in less than an hour, and no one is going to show up... Unless..."

It took Minhyuk a while to make sense of the stare Hyungwon was giving him, a smile tugging at his lips. "I can't," Minhyuk quickly told him, forgetting to sound apologetic. "I mean, I'd love to do this for you, but there's so much other... business stuff that I'm busy with."

"Please." He firmly gripped Minhyuk by the shoulders, frowning. "Me and Hyunwoo's schedules are so packed, Minhyuk-ssi. There's no way we'll be able to get another appointment in that works with the both of us."

"Well, that surely sucks," Minhyuk said, "but I have to go now."

"Please! I have never begged for anything in my whole entire life, and I will get on my knees in this damn lobby if I have to." Just then, the elevator doors slid open, and Jooheon entered the lobby to make his way home, burying two small hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt. "Jooheonie could go."

"Jooheonie could go where?" Jooheon asked, questioningly joining the conversation.

Hyungwon instantly swung an arm around him. "Hey, you. You want cake, don't you?"

"Cake?" the teenager repeated with raised brows. "Is that even a question?"

"Minhyuk is going to go cake tasting for me and Hyunwoo's wedding," Hyungwon explained to him, although Minhyuk hadn't even agreed to it. He sighed, wishing that there was more of a fight in him. But Minhyuk is always too fucking nice. "He's a little unsure what taste me and Hyunwoo are interested in, so I think it'd be a good idea for you to go too. Do you want to?"

"Again," Jooheon said, "is that even a question?"

Hyungwon laughed and squeezed Jooheon tightly. "Thank you so much, Jooheonie. And you especially, Minhyuk-ssi. You'll definitely be invited to our wedding."

_Invited to their wedding._ As if Minhyuk had spent every waking minute of his life, hoping, praying, wishing on shooting stars, that he could see his crush marry the epitome of perfection.

The cake shop has two floors, for whatever reason a shop of just cake needs more than one, and is entirely made of glass so that Minhyuk can already see the elegant color scheme and pastel cakes displayed inside. The shop name is written across the door, something in French and in cursive that Minhyuk doesn't pay much attention to as he tries tugging the door open, and then over and over again, until Jooheon softly nudges him aside and pushes the glass doors open to the scent of vanilla frosting.

"Oh," Minhyuk murmurs, following after him into the shop, "I knew that."

Jooheon just chuckles.

"Welcome!" a woman greets the two boys, hurrying down a white staircase to reach them at the entrance, notepad in hand. "You must be coming in replace of Son Hyunwoo and Chae Hyungwon. I'm going to be one of the bakers of the wedding cake."

"Yes, sorry we're a few minutes late. It was sort of decided last minute. I'm Son Hyunwoo's personal assistant," Minhyuk explains, lowering his head.

The baker smiles and bows to the both of them, and then trails her eyes to Jooheon once she's lifted her head, smiling with just the same kindness. "And is this your nephew?"

"My nephew?" Minhyuk questioningly repeats back to her. He slowly looks to Jooheon and _oh._ He can sort of understand where she could've got that from. Beside their obvious contrast in appearance, Jooheon looks so young with his hair flopped on his forehead, wavy and a little messy. Minhyuk quickly pulls his eyes away and drops a hand onto Jooheon's shoulder. "Yup! This is my nephew!"

He can feel Jooheon staring at him, but he doesn't look.

"Well, let's hurry and get started then, since we're already a bit behind schedule," she quickly tells them. With a nod, Minhyuk drops his hand from Jooheon's shoulder and they follow after the woman into a different room organized with sliced cake alongside little, decorated plates. Minhyuk is already prepared to dig straight in at the first cake that he sees, but the baker ushers them to a specific one set up for the two of them, interrupting Minhyuk when he instantly reaches to serve himself a slice. "These flavors were all selected based off Son Hyunwoo and Chae Hyungwon's suggestions. Generally, they were very vague, so I'm hoping there'll be more ideas you'll be willing to give us today."

Slowly, Minhyuk and Jooheon look to each other. The younger boy shrugs. 

"We'll do our best," Jooheon decides.

"To speed this up a bit—for the sake of time—what cake can we taste first?" Minhyuk quickly asks, causing Jooheon to laugh.

The woman laughs too, except with less amusement. "I always like to get a bit more information on the wedding before we start the cake tasting."

Inwardly, Minhyuk groans.

"We don't really know that much about the wedding, to be honest," Jooheon murmurs, "but hopefully we'll steer you in the right direction."

Which is most likely code for _hopefully we don't fuck up my step-brother's wedding._

She asks them a lot of questions about design and the preferred simplicity or intricacy of it that Minhyuk and Jooheon give a lot of long  _um's_ and _uh's_ to before deciding on something random. The rest of the questions follow the same pattern. Would they prefer fresh flowers over sugar flowers? Fondant over buttercream? Neither of them ever know how to answer, and Minhyuk's pretty sure this cake will be underdone, or a disaster. 

"You would think you'd be better with this," Minhyuk chuckles, "since he's literally your stepbrother."

"I'm his stepbrother, not his wedding planner," Jooheon says in his defense. "Do you think I'm just going to casually lean over the dinner table like, 'Hyung, are you, like, a fondant kinda guy, or a buttercream?'"

Minhyuk laughs.

"I think I have enough information," she says, although the uneasy smile on her face shows otherwise, as she closes her notepad. "Anything else that comes to mind I can just follow up with the couple."

"That'd probably be the best option," Minhyuk nods.

"Well," the baker tucks the notepad underneath her arm, "let's eat some cake then."

She sits them down into pretty, white chairs, introducing a cake that she describes as white vanilla bean. She babbles on about some other stuff, how well it'd go along with the wedding setting, and then getting into the artistic aspects of it that Minhyuk is sure only a baker could really understand.

"Any thoughts?" she asks.

Jooheon looks to Minhyuk, face covered in white frosting, and then fixes his eyes on the baker to shake his head. 

"Nothing at all? How do you feel about the flavor?"

"Um," the teenager hums to himself, his pink tongue running a lap around the frosting on his lips, "it's a pretty damn good cake."

She doesn't seem too happy with this response. Hopeful, the baker looks to Minhyuk who's too busy sucking frosting off his thumb to acknowledge her. "And you, sir? Do you have an opinion?"

Minhyuk slowly looks up. "Uh, what my nephew said."

She sighs.

They go from marble cake to tiramisu to lemon, dark chocolate champagne, mocha, strawberry creme, white raspberry, and more and more and more. Minhyuk feels as if he's on the brink of a sugar high somewhere between a bite of key lime coconut, as Jooheon continuously requests more flavors beyond what she'd prepared for them with a nonchalance that Minhyuk fears. He's pretty sure if he eats anymore cake that he's going to faint, or just simply die. That seems a much more pleasing solution.

"There has to be at least _something_ that you think is good enough," Minhyuk sighs, nauseated, although he's still stuffing his face with chocolate and raspberry.

Jooheon just laughs. "My hyung is only going to get married to Hyungwon once. Cake is a really important part of the wedding. I don't want them to be stuck with just anything."

It's a bit strange hearing him say that, since Minhyuk is so used to Jooheon speaking of his hyung as if they don't have much of a relationship with each other. Jooheon doesn't talk about him much, anyway. He hasn't really said a lot about his family besides their disliking towards his passion for music. Not that Minhyuk really expects Jooheon to share such things from his personal life with him, but the curiosity sticks with him for a while.

"Can I mix up cakes and frosting?" Jooheon asks the baker. "I want to try chocolate ganache on vanilla, and vanilla buttercream on... uh..."

"White chocolate," Minhyuk offers.

With a sigh, she nods. "Just a minute."

"I think we're pretty close to having her quit her job," the older boy quietly laughs when she disappears into a room. 

Jooheon barely laughs along with him, distractedly running his spoon through brown sugar icing and silently sucking on it without ever bothering to look at him. Minhyuk rests his chin on the younger boy's shoulder and watches him eat, hoping that maybe his stares will become too unbearable for Jooheon to ignore, but the two boys remain in an awkward silence, Jooheon licking from a different spoon of frosting with an expression that Minhyuk doesn't quite understand.

"Jooheon-ah," Minhyuk frowns, hugging him tightly, "you're never this quiet. Is something wrong?"

"You shouldn't even have to ask me that," Jooheon murmurs.

Minhyuk feels bad that he does. "If you don't tell me that something is wrong, then I won't know."

There's a silence of Minhyuk staring into the side of Jooheon's face, wondering how long he can sit ignoring him, before the younger boy drops his spoon to the table and looks at him with sad eyes. "I hate that I embarrass you so much."

"What?" Minhyuk slowly pulls away from him in surprise. "Embarrass me? Baby boy, you don't embarrass me."

"Really? Then why didn't you tell her that I'm your friend? Or that I'm Hyunwoo's step-brother? Why did you feel the need to lie to someone we're never even going to see again?"

Frankly, Minhyuk doesn't have a response. He sheepishly looks to the frosting smeared on his plate, trying to contemplate one, wishing that he had an answer that wouldn't upset the both of them.

"I'm sorry that you're so ashamed of us," the teenager says, softly, tugging his eyes to his lap where his unsteady hands are interlaced with each other. 

"You don't embarrass me, Jooheon-ah, and there's nothing to be ashamed of," Minhyuk assures him. It feels okay to lie, because this is something Minhyuk can fix. Something he can eventually learn. Hesitantly, his arm snakes around Jooheon's shoulders and he hugs him again, just as tightly as before. "I'm your hyung. I'm not ashamed of you."

"Then prove it to me."

Minhyuk blinks. "What?"

"Prove it to me," Jooheon nonchalantly repeats. "Kiss me if you're not ashamed of me."

"But," Minhyuk nervously laughs, tipping his chair back onto its two legs, "that's weird, right? I told her you're my nephew."

"Then don't," he shrugs.

With that, Jooheon simply looks away, returning to the icing on his plate as if he doesn't care, but Minhyuk knows that he does. He lets his chair fall back to the floor on four legs, thinking about the coffee shop with Hoseok, how terrified he'd been of telling his hyung about Jooheon and of how guilty he'd felt feeling this way, wishing that he didn't have to feel it at all. He knows he's being a terrible hyung to Jooheon. Minhyuk was pretty aware of what he was getting himself into from the second Jooheon had pulled him into the bathroom at that club, yet here he is, hurting his friend. Hurting someone that he cares about. 

His hand grips Jooheon's jaw and gently turns his face to look at him, the younger boy naturally moving closer, as if he'd been expecting Minhyuk to touch him, as if he'd been waiting for his hand to flatten over his cheek and their faces to inch so closely to each other that the slightest movement could have their lips touching. Minhyuk wants to take his time, though, although he doesn't really know why.

His heart jumps a little at the sound of heels tapping against a staircase, but Jooheon's so close to him that he can't really find himself caring. He kisses him then, and it feels like the first time. Not _their_ first time—rushed and greedy and meaningless—but _a_ first, like it's the first time that Minhyuk has ever felt Jooheon's lips against his, the first time he's even been close to him, feeling his soft skin underneath his fingertips. He feels Jooheon's hand on the small of his back, as if he wants them to be as close to each other as they possibly can, and Minhyuk wonders to himself how something so meaningless can feel like it means everything.

He pulls away, their noses brushing, his eyes focusing on Jooheon's lips as if he's just now seeing them. They twitch slightly, the ghost of a smile, before Jooheon grins and Minhyuk pecks his lips again.

(The session ends rather quickly after that, when the woman drops the cake she brings and stumbles so much over her words that Jooheon just decides to inform her that Hyunwoo and Hyungwon will take it from here.

"I feel a little bad now," Jooheon tells him, laughing, as they stroll along the sidewalk to the bus stop.

Minhyuk just smiles. He doesn't.)

 

. . .

 

It's too hot. The weather is beginning to get warmer, just suddenly, the same day that the air conditioning of Minhyuk's office decides to dysfunction. Minhyuk doesn't sweat easily, and it's only really warm enough to just be uncomfortable in a heavy jacket, but Jooheon has him pushed over onto his desk, his chest, bare and damp, pressed to his back, and a hand pushing one of Minhyuk's thighs onto the desk. 

"You good?" Jooheon asks. The small exhale to Minhyuk's ear is warm, but somehow sends a shiver down his spine. He likes that Jooheon has become comfortable being a little more rough with him now, but he's always careful, always making sure that Minhyuk is okay and satisfied. 

Minhyuk nods, his face warm and bangs sticky. They're still nearly fully clothed, Minhyuk only having the buttons on his shirt undone a little lower than before and his pants pulled down above his knees, and Jooheon only left without his shirt.

Neither of them really meant for this. Jooheon had only sneaked into his office to get back the wallet that he'd left at Minhyuk's house, and somehow it'd escalated to him pushing Minhyuk over onto his desk and fucking him into it.

He finds it a little embarrassing how easily he can fall to Jooheon. Just from a single touch—a single touch that means absolutely nothing—Minhyuk suddenly feels like he belongs to him. He feels that his body was only meant for him, that he controls every muscle, every bone. 

Sweat slowly rolls down Minhyuk's face, his eyes fluttering closed with Jooheon's hand in his hair, pushing his head onto a binder on his desk—something thick and probably important—as he lifts his chest from Minhyuk's back. The older boy instantly misses the warmth of him, the weight on top of his body. Jooheon's other hand is still on his thigh, holding it firmly in place, with Minhyuk's hips knocking into the desk with each thrust.

"Hyung, you look so fucking hot," Jooheon utters, breathing heavily. Minhyuk wants to look back at him so that he won't have to imagine how Jooheon looks himself (probably so pretty, covered in sweat and out of breath,) but Jooheon strictly keeps his head against the desk. Minhyuk feels too amazing to complain. "You take me in so nicely. I just want to... I want to slap your ass."

Minhyuk laughs at how shy his voice sounds. It's amazing the way he's still palpably cute in anything. "Then go for it."

"Can I?"

"I'm all yours, baby boy."

Jooheon smacks his ass only hard enough to leave a slight sting. He smooths his hand over his cheek, so gently, Minhyuk's breath hitching, before his hand comes down on his ass again a little rougher.

"Good?" Jooheon asks. He's right by his ear again, and it drives Minhyuk crazy.

"I'm good," Minhyuk whispers. _So good._

The younger boy drops his hand from his hair, trailing his fingers down to his spine and curling it around his hip. Minhyuk wants him faster and harder, but he works with Jooheon's pace, trying not to grind against him, trying to stay relaxed.

"You're so good for me," Jooheon tells him. It's music to Minhyuk's ears. His fingers grip at the side of his desk, nails pressed into wood. "I wish you could be loud for me, hyung. I wish I could fuck you until you scream my name."

Minhyuk emits a noise he's pretty sure passes as a whimper. His eyes squeezing, brows scrunched. "Hold me," he says, his voice leaving his lips a little childishly. Minhyuk knows that it's not really fitting. Too loving, too affectionate, and he hates himself for speaking as soon as he hears it.

"Hold you?" Jooheon's arms wrap around his thin torso, pulling him a little closer to his chest. Minhyuk plants his hands onto the desk to hold himself up. "Like this? You want me to fuck you like this?"

"Yes," he instantly nods, and Jooheon's arms tighten around him, his lips pressing to his neck only resting there and not kissing him, as he picks up his pace again, holding him so closely that Minhyuk feels himself becoming weak. He's a mess trying to keep quiet. His palms so unsteady and clammy, teeth digging into pink flesh for him to shut his big mouth and keep any moans from escaping. He cries out a little and Jooheon shushes him, Minhyuk having to turn his head to an odd angle to attach their lips in an open-mouthed kiss. It's so wet and so messy with nothing innocent about it.

"No one makes me feel like you do," Minhyuk tells him without thinking, and he's aware of how much of an idiot he is, how fucking dumb he sounds. _Just shut up,_ he thinks to himself. But his head is dropping back onto Jooheon's shoulder as his hips slap against him, Jooheon building into pounding his ass and holding up his weight more as the strength in Minhyuk's arms falter. "Shit, baby boy," he softly moans. "Only you can make me fall apart. Only you can make me feel this good."

Minhyuk's tongue is in his mouth when Jooheon cums, groaning, and Minhyuk not long after into the condom he'd pulled on over himself just to prevent a big mess.

The younger boy stumbles a little under Minhyuk's weight as he quivers in his arms, mouth opened, his hand resting at the back of Jooheon's head and Jooheon's arms around him even tighter. 

"Jooheon," he says, softly. Just for him. "Jooheon-ah..."

He slumps over onto his desk for a while, and then throws the used condoms into the bin and pulls up his pants. Jooheon is lazily sat in his chair with his eyes closed, entirely drenched in sweat and still trying to catch his breath. Minhyuk watches the way his chest rises and falls. He's so hot. His hair all messy, his chest wet, his lips swollen. Minhyuk tucks Jooheon back into his jeans, zipping him up, and Jooheon flutters his eyes open with the cutest smile. A little sloppy and tired, but Minhyuk loves it. He straddles Jooheon and kisses him, their lips slow, savoring, Jooheon's mouth tasting of salt.

It's so new. So unlike them. Jooheon kisses him back just as deeply, his hands on the small of his back, fingers brushing his spine, and then the door opens.

_"Holy shit!"_

Minhyuk only whips around quick enough to see the door slamming behind Kihyun. It feels like hours that Jooheon and Minhyuk sit in silence, staring at the door with wide eyes, but it's only seconds before Minhyuk's shoving Jooheon off him, frantically running his hands through his hair.

"Get out of here," Minhyuk quickly tells him. "I'll go after him, just make sure you get out."

Silently, Jooheon nods, and then Minhyuk's running out the door to find his colleague, buttoning up his shirt. He was so sure that Jooheon had locked the door behind himself. He can't believe that they'd went so long with it unlocked. They are always so careful. Always aware that they could be caught any second. Minhyuk's heart pounds with each step.

_"Kihyun!"_ he shouts once he catches sight of him.

Kihyun looks stunned at the sound of his name. He turns to Minhyuk, pursing his lips. "Honestly," his co-worker says, "I don't even want to know."

"Just listen to me," Minhyuk says, still feeling like it's necessary to explain himself, hoping that he can somehow help Kihyun to unsee what he'd just walked in on. "Please don't tell anyone. I'm begging you."

"Minhyuk," Kihyun utters. With a sigh, he shakes his head. "What the fuck?"

"I know."

"Do you have any idea who he is? He's —"

"CEO Son's younger brother, I know that," he sighs.

Kihyun pauses, and then furrows his brows, "Then, really, what the fuck?"

"It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Kihyun opens his mouth, and then closes it, pressing his small hands to his face to contemplate his thoughts. "What is this? Are you comforting yourself about CEO Son not liking you by playing around with a mini-Son? You can't just make out with your boss' little brother in your office, and then say that that's nothing!"

"Can you quiet down?" Minhyuk pleads. "If someone finds out, I could lose my job!"

"Damn right, you could lose your job! Do you have any idea what you're even doing? You're insane! He's his little fucking brother, Minhyuk-ah! He's a child!"

"He's not a child!" Minhyuk shouts back, despite himself.

Kihyun looks irritated with being yelled at. He steps back, scrutinizing Minhyuk, and then shakes his head. "He _is_ a child, and he has feelings. You can't just use him to make yourself feel better about CEO Son."

"I'm not," Minhyuk tells him, angrily. He's suddenly uncomfortable, pouting, and his eyes becoming unfocused from his thoughts. "I'm not. I'm not!"

"Oh, please," he scoffs.

"Could you get off my ass?  I'm not sticking my nose into your business with Hoseok hyung, so don't worry about what the hell I'm doing in my office."

"If you don't want people worrying what the hell you're doing in your office, then maybe you should try out the damn lock that's on the door," Kihyun retorts, rolling his eyes. 

Minhyuk doesn't have a reply. He looks to his shoes, suddenly frustrated and drained from feeling such a rush of anger all at once. "It's really nothing," he tells his colleague, calmly. Kihyun just looks at him. "I'm not using him to fill a hole that CEO Son can't. He means nothing to me, okay? It's just fun. Jooheon knows this. It means nothing. I don't even like him."

Kihyun purses his lips, much like before, and then tersely lifts his brows. It's when Minhyuk feels it. The two holes burning into his back, his skin stinging, a heavy weight suddenly feeling as if it's been dropped on his shoulders. Minhyuk doesn't want to turn around, but he does, and of course there's Jooheon. Silent, staring, a face blank and unreadable. Minhyuk is unsure what exactly he's supposed to do from here.

"Jooheon-ah," Minhyuk murmurs, stupidly, "I didn't mean it. You know that."

"It's fine," he smiles, softly, before his face drops into blankness again. "I should just get going now."

Minhyuk frowns. "Jooheon-ah..."

"I'm not upset," he tells him. As he passes, he gently pats Minhyuk's arm, so awkwardly that it feels unnatural, and nods to Kihyun. "Bye, guys. Work hard."

"Jooheon-ah," Kihyun calls. He tries gripping the teenager by the arm, but he slips away, heading off towards the elevator without looking back. Minhyuk feels like he should run after him, or do something that isn't him just standing there, helplessly watching Jooheon disappear down the hall until he hears the elevator doors shutting. Minhyuk thinks that he should be fixing this, that he should try to fix this, that he should just do fucking _something._ But there doesn't seem to be anything to do. it feels as if everything happened so quickly that a piece of Minhyuk didn't happen to catch up with it all. 

Kihyun looks at Minhyuk with a glare, and then heads to the elevator, probably to find Jooheon before he has a chance to leave the building. Minhyuk thinks that he should be doing the same, but he's so bad with listening to himself that he slips away to his office instead, closing the door and this time, locking it.

 

. . . 

 

He's pretty sure that Jooheon will never want to speak to him again, but it's not much more than a few days later that Jooheon calls him from Hyunwoo's office. He has been ignoring him for quite some time, or Minhyuk has been ignoring him. Not a long of things Minhyuk does makes sense, not even to himself. He wants to apologize to Jooheon so badly, but he's so afraid of speaking to him that he decides it's just best to avoid him. He ducks his head whenever he spots Jooheon in the lobby, and pretends that he's speaking to someone whenever Jooheon enters a room. He thinks that Jooheon should be worried with this, instead of himself.

"Are you doing anything?" Jooheon asks him as soon as Minhyuk picks up the phone.

Slowly, he shakes his head, before realizing that Jooheon can't see him. "Um, no. Is there something you want to do?"

"I need you to meet me in the lobby," he tells him, and that's pretty much it. Jooheon hangs up the phone and Minhyuk has to take a few seconds to calm his heart before he stands up, closing his laptop, and takes the elevator to the lobby.

He finds Jooheon on one of the comfy couches of the living room. He's not wearing his orange tee shirt, so Minhyuk assumes that he's not working today, or that Hyunwoo's decided that he's punished his poor stepbrother enough to finally let him off.

Jooheon smiles at him when he notices Minhyuk inching towards him. Minhyuk thinks that it'd be easier if Jooheon hated him and never wanted to see him again. "Hey," he greets, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "I think we need to talk."

"Yeah," Minhyuk nods, gulping.

The younger boy glances at the man behind the front desk, doing a terrible job of pretending not to stare at the two of them, and grips Minhyuk by the arm. "Not here," he says.

They find a metal bench somewhere far off from the company building, although Minhyuk's sure they'll be fine at least somewhere closer. It's during the time of the day that everyone is present and busy, and if they're not, they're either not planning on coming into work today or slipping through the back doors. The president loathes tardiness almost as much as he hates idle employees. Minhyuk has familiarized himself with the company well enough to know exactly and how and when to sneak in the times he's late without anyone of importance noticing.

Once they've sat down, Minhyuk hesitantly turns to Jooheon, dreading whatever he has to say in an attempt to fix this. But Jooheon doesn't bother saying anything.

They both sit in silence, knees bobbing, eyes anxiously darting around as if they have all the time in the world. Minhyuk wouldn't mind if they sat here forever, not saying anything. At least this way they wouldn't have to face the obvious.

It takes a while for them to even look at each other. Jooheon fiddles with his fingers, and then sighs, staring at the company in the distance."You know," he says, suddenly, "me and Hyunwoo are related through our moms. Our dads are different."

Minhyuk furrows his brows a little. This wasn't really what he'd thought of when Jooheon had said they needed to talk, but, slowly, he nods, letting Jooheon know that he's more than happy to listen. "I sort of guessed that since your family name is Lee."

"Oh, well, yeah," Jooheon laughs. He pulls off the Snapback on his head, and runs a hand through his hair, trying to push it out of the shape of the hat. "I wasn't born when my dad married our mother, but sometimes I feel like they were much happier then. With just Hyunwoo hyung."

Minhyuk pauses, not really sure where this is going. "I'm sure your parents love you, Jooheon-ah."

"Of course they love me, but they love Hyunwoo hyung more. My dad even loves him more, and he's not even his son! He's so proud of him, and our mom is too. More than me. I feel like they expected so much more out of me, but they're shocked and disappointed that we're entirely different from each other," Jooheon rambles. "I always have to compete with him. I always have to try to be exactly like him, or better than him, but I always fail. Have you ever tried searching up the founder of this company, hyung? He's an Lee, yet it was passed down to Hyunwoo hyung."

"Jooheon-ah," Minhyuk sighs. "I don't think it's like that at all. You're still a student. I'm sure when you get old enough to own a business, the company will be passed down to you."

"I don't care about the company," Jooheon mutters, looking away, and Minhyuk feels bad that he doesn't understand what he's trying to say. He wishes that Jooheon would just say what he means sometimes, instead of leaving clues for Minhyuk to try figuring out. "I know I'm not making any sense, and you probably think that I'm wasting your time. But you mean a lot to me, so I want to tell you stuff. I want you to get to know me."

"Yeah, me too," he quickly nods. "About what I said... that's not how I feel about you, Jooheon-ah. You know that, right?"

He shrugs. "Does it matter?"

It's not a response that Minhyuk expects. He frowns at him, pouting. "What do you mean? Why would it not matter?"

"Hyung," Jooheon murmurs, "I know how you feel about my stepbrother."

Minhyuk's mouth instantly runs dry, his mind swiped blank. He feels as if he's been caught with both hands covered in blood as he searches for the words to deny it and defend himself, but there are none.

"It's okay," the younger boy quickly says, grabbing Minhyuk's hands. He softly smiles at him in a way that breaks Minhyuk's heart. "I'm not mad at you. I've known. I think I've always known, I just wasn't sure."

Minhyuk is still speechless. He doesn't know what he's supposed to say. He doesn't remember the last time his heart has skipped a beat when he's near Hyunwoo, or when he thinks of him and his face feels warm, like before. But Minhyuk has liked him for so long that he wonders if he'd be lying if he said that he doesn't. His heart has fluttered so much every time Hyunwoo is around. From the moment he saw CEO Son, he'd liked him. He's always liked him. It feels wrong to say that he doesn't.

"I'm sorry," Minhyuk says, voice small and hoarse.

"I'm not mad, I told you that. You're my hyung, and I like being around you."

"But?"

"But," Jooheon repeats, suddenly anxious, "I think that we should stop this."

Minhyuk's chest tightens. "Stop this?"

"I like spending time with you and being your friend, but the sex just makes it so messy." He sucks in a breath, staring at his own hand resting on the metal bench. "Let's just be normal friends, okay?

"Normal friends," Minhyuk nods, slowly. He forces a convincing smile onto his face, unsure why the words leave such a bad taste on his tongue. "Yeah, of course."

"Good." Jooheon stands, and Minhyuk assumes that this is the end of their conversation. He watches, uneasy, as the younger boy places his Snapback on his head and smiles at him. "I guess I should go now."

Before Jooheon walks away, Minhyuk hugs him, his arms wrapping around his shoulders and Jooheon hugging Minhyuk's torso like he knows how. Minhyuk feels a pain in his chest that he isn't quite sure what to do with. He wants to hold onto Jooheon as long as he can. He wants to tell him how much he cares about him and how beautiful he thinks he is, how he feels that Jooheon deserves so much that he can't give him and more. He wants to tell him that he's infatuated with every inch of him, from his adorable, chubby cheeks, to the mole on his eyelid. He wants to tell him how happy Jooheon makes him and how he misses him every second that they're not together, but he doesn't.

"See you around?" Jooheon asks, patting his back. Minhyuk steps away from him and nods, smiling. He doesn't know what to do as he watches Jooheon walk away again. He doesn't even know what the hell just happened. But it feels like a book closing. It feels like an end.

 

. . .

 

Minhyuk misses Jooheon so much that he can physically feel it. Jooheon is still there, and around. He talks to Minhyuk on the phone after class and Minhyuk can still laugh with him, and sometimes he pops in at the company to bring Hyunwoo lunch, making sure to drop by Minhyuk's office and say hi before he leaves. They visit the coffee shop sometimes to share smoothies, he invites Minhyuk to his gigs sometimes, and they eat chicken together at the pizza place that has the best pizza and wings. Jooheon even still lets Minhyuk finish all his chicken bones, and they still talk and laugh until they're too full to stand up.

But it isn't the same, because everything is still so different. 

He notices it from how Jooheon becomes a little awkward when Minhyuk interlocks their fingers, or subconsciously rests his head on Jooheon's shoulders. He notices how Jooheon doesn't hug him as tightly, and how he never really has that much to say. Not like before. Now, everything is so different.

Minhyuk misses sleeping a Sunday away with Jooheon in his arms, their legs tangled together in his purple duvet, and Minhyuk content and inhaling the gentle, familiar scent of baby powder. He misses waking up to his chubby cheeks and tousled hair and the bruises that he'd left on his beautiful skin the night before. He misses naturally collapsing on Jooheon when he laughs without having to feel apologetic. He misses sitting next to Jooheon and feeling his hand slide between his legs, and his lips on his own. He misses the way it feels touching him and tasting him. So, so much, that sometimes it feels like he can barely breathe.

He starts to ease into his old life again, before Jooheon became every aspect of it. He has lunch with a group of women from his office building that he hasn't spoken to for quite some time and busies himself with other stuff when he's not working so that he will forget he always feels as if there's something missing. Minhyuk helps out at a puppy cafe not too far from his house on the weekends, and then engrosses himself in Hoseok's life, which now involves so much and all of Kihyun. But that's okay. Minhyuk rather hear about how adorably Kihyun angrily flares his nostrils when Hoseok calls him a chibi than to miss Jooheon so, so much.

"Do you think it's too warm to wear a leather jacket?" Jooheon asks, scrolling through his phone. They've been sitting side-by-side at a bus stop, Minhyuk leaning against his shoulder because he's too lazy to hold up his own weight. He glances over to the screen of Jooheon's phone, darkened to save battery, and squints enough to see the Google search of leather jackets. 

"I don't know," Minhyuk murmurs. He realizes how careless he sounds and tries patching it up. "What do you need a leather jacket for?"

"I have a date," Jooheon replies, casually, without looking away from the screen of his phone as if these words wouldn't instantly run Minhyuk's blood cold. So cold that he feels as if he's frozen.

But then, Minhyuk realizes that Jooheon wouldn't know this. They never really meant anything. He was just a body to touch. A warmth to cling onto. Minhyuk can find this anywhere. In the corners of any city. In the seats of any bar.

He pushes a hand through his hair, lips tugging into a smile. "A date? That's awesome."

"Yeah," he grins, cheeks pink, "it is."

And it hurts Minhyuk that he's so flustered, so happy. Jooheon really likes this person, and Minhyuk thinks that's good. Dates should make you feel soft and fluffy. Liking someone should get you excited, make your cheeks warm. Minhyuk hopes that whoever he's looking at leather jackets for is worth it, and that they'll appreciate Jooheon so much that they won't keep him a secret like he did.

"So, a leather jacket," Minhyuk brings up again, peering over Jooheon's shoulder to look at the screen of his phone, "I think the temperature drops a little at night, so if you plan the date at night, then you should be good."

"Yeah, you're right," Jooheon says, nodding. He saves a photo of a male model in a leather jacket that he apparently likes and lifts his hips to pocket the phone into the back of his jeans. 

"Are you nervous?" he asks.

With a deep breath, Jooheon quickly nods, blushing again.

"I think you'll do great," Minhyuk reassures him, pinching Jooheon's glowing cheeks. The younger boy chuckles. "If they get to know you like I do, then they should like you."

"I sure hope so," Jooheon tells him as the bus comes rolling in. He gets up first, and Minhyuk follows after, a little dizzy, a little sick to his stomach.

 

. . .

 

"For me?" Kihyun asks suspiciously when Minhyuk sets an iced Americano on his desk. Without even waiting for a response, he's gripping the cup and sipping from it, happily smiling at the taste. The man on the other side of the room seems annoyed with Minhyuk's presence, as always, and rolls his eyes when Kihyun sets his coffee down and starts to talk again. "What's this for?"

"Uh, nothing really, I guess," Minhyuk smiles genuinely. He'd made up with Kihyun pretty quickly after he'd caught him and Jooheon. They've decided to just forget about it, or at least that's what Minhyuk believes to be what they're doing. Kihyun doesn't ever bring up Jooheon, because he doesn't need to, and Hoseok has never mentioned Jooheon before, so Minhyuk doesn't think that Kihyun has went as far as telling Hoseok of what happened. Minhyuk appreciates it, but he doesn't bother telling Kihyun that. It's just awkward. "It's my last day today."

Kihyun looks up at him, mid-swallow, brows furrowed. "Last day?"

"Yup," his smile widens,  "CEO Son wasn't in when I went to go see him, so I can't speak to him about leaving, but I've found a new job."

Still shocked, Kihyun gapes. "A new job?"

"Yeah! Great, right?"

"But," he frowns, mouth opening and closing as he tries to find a way to form words, "isn't this so sudden?"

It is pretty sudden.

Minhyuk has learned to fall in love with drawing again. It started off small. He miraculously drew a picture on the napkin of a restaurant him and Jooheon visited, and he'd decided that he liked it so much that he didn't want to throw it away. Then, Minhyuk had thought it wouldn't hurt to buy himself a new sketchbook so that he could draw it again, bigger with more detail. The sketchbook is just something cheap so that it wouldn't hurt him if his drawing inspiration had only fooled him, and he suddenly couldn't muster up anymore of his creations onto a page. But Minhyuk had done so well and worked so efficiently that he'd decided to get himself another sketchbook with better cotton content so he could play around with the watercolor paint that his mother randomly bought him.

Soon, Minhyuk finds himself drawing all the time. As much as before. He feels happy when he's satisfied with his finished work and he likes sketching them out, coloring them, and then being able to recreate them on the canvases he begins to buy himself again. After Minhyuk had organized a few of his favorite paintings into a set, he'd decided to apply for a few art studios around, and he'd really forgotten all about it until one of the art studios had called him back two days ago, saying that they'd like him to be a part of the team.

"You're going to miss me, aren't you?" 

Kihyun seems disgusted by the idea and quickly shakes his head. "That's nowhere near what I'm saying."

Minhyuk just grins.

"I didn't think you'd leave so soon," Kihyun murmurs. "I mean, you really like CEO Son, and everyone enjoys your company so much around here. The staff will be heartbroken when they hear about this."

"I think they'll be fine. Everyone knows this really isn't my thing.  I don't know shit about business."

Kihyun chuckles, sucking from his straw and nodding. "I definitely can't deny that."

"It's just time for me to move on," he shrugs. 

"Yeah," Kihyun slowly nods, staring off into his thoughts. He sighs and smiles at him. "That's good. Good for you."

"After I talk to Hyunwoo, I'm going to go ahead and try to pack up all my stuff," Minhyuk tells him. There's not really anything left that he needs to pack up, though. Ever since the call, he's been back and forth, taking a few things here and there to his home whenever he comes and goes. "I'll miss you enough for the both of us."

"That's gross, but okay."

Kihyun does him hug, though, after coming from behind his desk. Minhyuk pats his back, and then heads out, pocketing his hands into his pants and heading for Hyunwoo's office. He decides to just wait if he isn't there. He didn't really plan his day to stay for long in the company. Minhyuk feels so excited, smiling at everyone he passes as usual, but he feels much happier, more loose. Now, he doesn't have to dread coming to this place every single day, staying until the sun sets and it's too late in the day to do anything worthwhile and exciting with himself.

Fortunately, CEO Son is in his office, planted in his usual position. Sat in his desk chair, looking over a stack of stapled papers. His eyebrows are furrowed as he concentrates on the words, a fist tucked under his chin. He looks a little like _The Thinker._

"CEO Son?" Minhyuk softly calls. Gently, he knocks his knuckles to the door. Enough to grab his attention. 

With a smile, Hyunwoo trails his eyes over to him as Minhyuk lowers his head into a bow. "Hi," he quietly greets, nodding at him, "is there something that you need?"

"I just need to talk to you," he says.

"Oh." Awkwardly, Hyunwoo lifts his elbow from his desk and straightens his back against his desk chair. Minhyuk realizes how ridiculous it is to have a chair so large just to sit in, but then he shakes the thought from his head, wondering why the size of a stupid chair is crossing his mind. "Take a seat."

"That's okay, CEO Son. I'd feel more comfortable standing."

"Okay then."

Suddenly, Minhyuk feels a rush of nerves, and he's unsure why. There's nothing left for him here. He knows this. But in a way, he's a little afraid of things changing, even if he was so miserable here. He's just so familiar with here that it feels so strange building the courage to say that he's ready to get up and leave it all behind.

"CEO Son," Minhyuk begins, clasping his hands together with a smile, "I'm resigning."

There's a pause. A long silence. Minhyuk listens to the air conditioning, lowly blowing cool air into the office room. "What?" CEO Son finally says.

"I'm sorry. I know that I'm supposed to notify my resignation two weeks in advance, but it just sort of happened," Minhyuk rambles, smiling sheepishly. "I understand if you're upset."

"I'm not upset," he tells him, quietly. "Is there a reason why you're resigning so abruptly?"

"I was employed somewhere else that works better with a schedule for me to go back to school," Minhyuk sheepishly explains. It's the truth, but he's a little scared that it's not the right thing to say. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

"This was a really great experience, genuinely. I got to know a lot about business, and I never thought being a personal assistant was something I'd ever do, so thanks for taking a chance on me." He bows and lifts his head with a smile. "You'll receive my resignation letter very soon. Thank you again, CEO Son. I wish you and your business a lot of luck."

CEO Son nods, and smiles. But he still seems caught off guard. "Thank you, Minhyuk-ssi.  I wish you luck with your new job."

The random vase in Minhyuk's office, holding artificial flowers, doesn't belong to him, but he packs them into his box of belongings, anyway. He takes the new stapler Hyunwoo had given him as a little, stupid souvenir that he can use around the house and organizes the papers of work messily scattered onto his desk. One stack on his desk that he'd sent a text message for Kihyun to take. Lastly, Minhyuk slips the laptop Hyunwoo gave him into the box and leaves it on the desk beside the stack. He knows it's his, all his. But it just feels wrong taking it.

A cab picks him up at the entrance. Minhyuk sits in the back with his box tucked between his feet. As the cab drives off, he watches the company from his window. Too big, too fancy. Nothing of it reflecting any aspect of Minhyuk.

_I never want to come here ever again,_ Minhyuk thinks to himself. He smiles, watching the building become smaller and smaller, until it's just a little dot of the city, indiscernible and no longer any part of him.

 

. . .

 

The wedding invitation in Minhyuk's mailbox is minimalistic. but elegant. A gold bow tied around it, and Hyunwoo and Hyungwon's names centered on the front with the time, date, and location. Honestly, Minhyuk has no desire to the attend their wedding, but Kihyun had invited Hoseok along as his date, and Hoseok had told Minhyuk that he didn't want to feel alone if Kihyun spent some time with his colleagues.

Minhyuk doesn't think it'd be difficult for Hoseok to find someone to talk to. He's friendly and has a warm smile. He thinks that should be enough. But Hoseok convinces him to come, so Minhyuk puts the invitation on his refrigerator as soon as he slips it out of the envelope to not forget about it. In actuality, he thinks forgetting the invitation would be something nearly impossible for him.

His shirt is covered in paint. Minhyuk had bought a new canvas for himself the day before, deciding that Sunday morning is the best time for him to finally get a drawing he's sketched out enlarged and perfected. He's been working on it for quite some hours. The drawing process is always quick for Minhyuk, since his mind works fast and automatically. But it's the final draft, so Minhyuk tries to works slowly, painting meticulously and taking his time with a playlist of his favorite ballads flowing in shuffle. Minhyuk wonders how he could've ever fell out of love with this.

He's distracted when he notices Jun crawling from underneath the couch. He hasn't been too happy lately, which is usually how Jun is whenever Minhyuk is in his presence, but he actually feels a little soft for the cat. Whether Minhyuk hates Jun or not, he's still the cat's caretaker.

He sets down his paintbrush and squats to Jun whose decided to curl up on the carpeted floor of his living room. He doesn't hiss when Minhyuk comes to pet him. In fact, Minhyuk doesn't think that he's heard Jun as much as he's used to. The cat has just been lying around and sleeping, which he assumes a cat should, but Jun's laziness at least normally goes to an extent.

"I'm worried about you, boy," Minhyuk murmurs, gently stroking his fur. "I should take you to the doctor."

He wraps an arm around his knees and thinks to himself, staring down the hall that leads to the front door as he slips into his thoughts. Slowly, his eyes trail back to Jun purring. Minhyuk gently runs a hand over the cat's head.

"Do you miss him?" he asks quietly.

Minhyuk stares at Jun as if he'll get an answer. He blinks at him and flutters his eyes closed.

"Yeah, me too," Minhyuk sighs. He strokes Jun's back again, happy that the cat seems content. "I miss him so much. The house doesn't seem the same without him, right?"

He feels as if they're having a real bonding moment over Jooheon, but Minhyuk picks Jun up to hold in his arms, and the cat is instantly triggered. Leaping out of his embrace, Jun unnecessarily digs his claws into Minhyuk's arm and bolts under the couch in a blur.

"Fucking cat," Minhyuk hisses. He really does get clingy way too quickly.

Pouting, he drags himself to the kitchen sink to wash the blood dotting the new scratch on his arm. Minhyuk thinks about how funny Jooheon would find this, and it saddens him how different his life is now. In such a short period of time. He wishes that he didn't have to feel so hesitant to call Jooheon, to tell him that he misses him and wants to be with him. He's sure that Jooheon would have no time for him, anyway.

He turns off the faucet, a deep sigh escaping his lips. Really, dogs are so much better in these situations.

 

. . . 

 

The boys simultaneously bring their glasses to the table, Minhyuk wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and pushing his empty glass aside. Hoseok is already working on refilling his with suspicious eyebrows raised to the younger boy pushing his hair from his forehead. He's been trying to rock a center part out of another desire for change, but it seems that his bangs are too used to being together.

"No wincing?" his hyung asks, impressed. He sets the bottle down for Minhyuk to refill his. "Have you been drinking without me?"

"Yup," Minhyuk simply replies. He still hasn't told Hoseok about Jooheon. Now, there doesn't really seem to be a reason to. He's started seeing Jooheon less and less. A while ago, if someone asked him what Jooheon was doing, he'd be able to reply factually in no time. Now, he has no idea. He hates it, but he's been trying to convince himself that it's okay. He always knew deep down that eventually Jooheon would move on from him and continue on with his life. Minhyuk wasn't too constant with friendships or relationships when he was nineteen, so it's fine. Minhyuk understands.

Hoseok laughs. "Do I know you?"

"I'm Minhyuk's secret twin," he tells him. 

"Interesting," Hoseok says. They both drink down their shot and bring it back to the table in sync. "Will twin Minhyuk let me have his Xbox?"

"If Hoseok wants to die."

The older boy contemplates this with a frown. "Is there a chance you guys are triplets?"

Minhyuk laughs and fills his hyung's glass, handing off the bottle for Hoseok to do the same for him. They tip their heads back together again. "My first class is tomorrow afternoon," he smiles.

"Really?" Hoseok gets excited quickly, propping his elbows on the table to listen intently. "I thought you weren't starting school for another week."

"I changed my schedule not too long ago. I guess I forgot to mention it." Minhyuk shrugs, his smile sloppy. 

"You're doing so much stuff out of nowhere. I'm jealous." Hoseok leans back in his chair after filling Minhyuk's glass. "I can't believe you'll be in Beijing in July. You have to take a lot of photos, and check up on my chibi for me. I'm going to be so lonely when he's gone."

Minhyuk decides not to explain how Beijing and Shanghai are two different cities and laughs. "You miss him all the time."

"I do, but it'd be even worse because I'd know he's so far away." The younger boy playfully rolls his eyes at this and looks into his glass. "This summer is going to be really lonely."

"Why don't you just ask Kihyun if you can go to Shanghai with him?"

"We haven't been together that long. I don't want him to think I'm obsessed with him or something." 

Minhyuk just looks at him.

"Anyway," Hoseok says, "I think he'd probably bring me back some bomb ass gifts, so it's worth it."

"True," he laughs.

They head home after a few more drinks. Minhyuk slumps over on his hyung and holds his hand throughout ride, playing some arcade game on his phone with the other to busy himself, but he's so terrible at it right now that he just decides to give up. 

"We should order pizza," Minhyuk tells him. Pizza makes him think of Jooheon, and then he feels sad. "Never mind."

"No, I want pizza," Hoseok whines. Minhyuk doesn't know why he's so interested in getting pizza when right as they stumble into the front door of Minhyuk's house, Hoseok instantly pulls off his clothes and collapses in Minhyuk's bed, falling asleep. Minhyuk decides to order pizza, anyway.

He sits in the window of his bedroom, squinting at the darkness of the night through the blinds as it rings.

"Hello?"

Minhyuk is too lazy to greet the person. He replies with his address. 

"What is that for?" 

"So that I can get a pizza?"

"It's like one AM, I'm not getting you a pizza."

Minhyuk is stunned, and stuck between swearing at the pizza guy or crying.  "Wait...  Jooheon?"

"Yeah," he laughs, "did you accidentally call me, hyung?"

"Yes, I'm sorry," Minhyuk laughs at himself, and Jooheon laughs again too, until they both gradually fall into a long silence. He's thinking if this is awkward, and if he should hang up. But he's already talking again in a murmur, his eyes fluttering closed. "Jooheon-ah, I'm so hungry."

"Then eat something," he replies.

"I don't want to eat." Minhyuk rests his head on the blinds, pouting. "I miss my baby boy."

"Hyung," is all Jooheon says.

"We used to be so close."

"And we're still close."

"I'm scared that you really want nothing to do with me," he stupidly admits. Pressing a hand to his face,  he sighs. "We rarely talk anymore, and I feel like you're never excited to see me. Not like before. We're so different now."

Jooheon doesn't say anything, but Minhyuk can hear him moving a little on the other side of the phone.

"I remember what it feels like to kiss you," Minhyuk tells him. "I miss it all the time, even if it didn't mean anything."

He's still silent. Minhyuk hears Jooheon's soft breathing, and he thinks of how stupid Jooheon must think he is. He's probably laughing at him in the inside, probably wondering what the hell he was thinking to have sex with a clingy and affectionate soft ass like Minhyuk.

"You probably don't miss kissing me," Minhyuk murmurs, yawning. He softly chuckles to himself and rests his head on his knees. "You probably have someone else to kiss, but that's okay."

More silence. Minhyuk doesn't have any more to say. He plays with a string from his sock until, suddenly, Jooheon ends the call. Minhyuk stares at his phone in what he may call disbelief, but he's not surprised. Not really. He carelessly tosses his phone on the floor and crawls underneath the covers of his bed with Hoseok, the pillow underneath his head catching the single tear that escapes from his eye.

 

. . .

 

It's a time of day where Minhyuk's so exhausted, but jogs are supposed to make you feel refreshed so Minhyuk gulps down some water and steadily runs around his neighborhood. The week has been actually pretty great for him. He likes going to school (sometimes) and it's nice polishing up on his Mandarin. There's a lot Minhyuk has forgotten from university—the days when he used to want to paint in Beijing and practice being a calligrapher—but he thinks either way he's still pretty good. 

Minhyuk finds a girl walking her dog to talk to halfway through his jog, and then walks the rest of the way back home when they make it to her house. He's scrolling through his phone when he's trailing into the driveway, sweating and panting, trying to find another song in his playlist to listen to. But then he pauses at the familiar car in his driveway.

_"Minhyuk-ssi!"_

He slowly looks up to Son Hyunwoo sitting at his door. It's strange, really. Seeing Son Hyunwoo at the door of his house, waiting for him. In jeans. _Jeans._ Minhyuk looks around at the sun setting behind him, wondering if he'd knocked himself unconscious during his run, and is suddenly dreaming.

"I'm sorry for showing up at your house like this," Hyunwoo sheepishly greets as Minhyuk nears him, "but I called you and you didn't answer your phone."

Minhyuk put his phone on do not disturb before his jog, but only because he knew that Hoseok would probably text him and he didn't want to be distracted. He nods at him, and then awkwardly bows, a little stunned. Minhyuk was pretty sure it'd be a while before he ever saw Hyunwoo again. He'd only prepared to see him in June, and that's it. "What are you doing here, CEO Son?"

"I can't find my brother," he tells him, frowning. Minhyuk feels as if his heart stops. Shocked, he presses a hand to his chest. "He was so mad at me a few days ago, and then he just got in his dad's car and took off. He doesn't even have a  driver's license, and we have no idea where he is."

"Have you tried tracking his phone?" Minhyuk questions. He tries to remember the last time he's spoken to Jooheon, and he can't. 

"Yes, but it's no good. He either turned it off, or he doesn't have a signal." He sighs. "Minhyuk-ssi, if you know where he is, or if he's with you, please tell me."

"No, I —" Minhyuk pauses, and then furrows his brows. "Why would Jooheon be with me?"

Hyunwoo just looks at him. "Why would he not?"

"Wait," he wipes a hand at his sweaty forehead, "what do you mean?"

"I know about you and Jooheon," he tells him, nonchalantly. Minhyuk feels his face automatically fill with heat. It's almost as if he can feel all of him entirely flushing red. "It's pretty obvious, Minhyuk-ssi. I've known my brother for nineteen years. Do you think I don't know when he likes someone?"

"Likes?" Minhyuk repeats, widening his eyes. "No, no, no, sir. It wasn't like that."

"We can talk about that later," Hyunwoo says, "but I really need to find my brother. Are you sure you don't know where he is?"

"I don't know. I'm so sorry. We haven't talked to each other in such a long time. He could be anywhere."

It's really not the right thing to say. Hyunwoo frowns even more than before, his eyebrows knitted together, a hand to his hip as he thinks. "This is bad."

Minhyuk's mouth feels dry. "How bad?"

"I think he's okay, wherever he is," Hyunwoo quickly reassures him, "but... Jooheon has problematic friends. He hasn't been hanging around with them for a while, but now... He's probably... I just really don't want him to get into any trouble."

"Have you tried getting in touch with Changkyun?" he asks. 

Hyunwoo nods. "He said that Jooheon hasn't been talking to him either."

"I'll try to call him," Minhyuk says. Hyunwoo silently nods and watches him scroll through his contacts. Minhyuk crosses his fingers behind his back, hoping that Jooheon picks up, but he's instantly sent to voice mail. After three more tries, Hyunwoo stops him.

"It's okay, Minhyuk-ssi. He's not going to answer," he tells him, quietly. Minhyuk can tell that he's disappointed, and probably even more worried than before. "Thanks, anyway. I'll try to go check some places. Have a good night."

"What? I'm going to come with you."

Hyunwoo frowns, contemplating this. "It probably isn't a good idea."

"It'd be better to have someone else there to look for him," Minhyuk says. "And I can't just sit around the house anxious. Jooheon's my friend. I need to find him as much as you need to. I'm coming."

It's strange sitting in the passenger's seat of Hyunwoo's car. He looks out the window, as if he'll just magically see Jooheon strolling down the street. Wherever he is, he just hopes that Jooheon's safe, and not getting in trouble like Hyunwoo worries that he is. He taps out a text message to Jooheon, telling him to call, but it doesn't deliver. Just sits there, waiting. Minhyuk has never felt so fearful in his life.

"There's a café Jooheon liked taking me to," Minhyuk suddenly tells Hyunwoo, staring out of the window. "Do you think that there is any chance of him being there?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Hyunwoo says. "Let's check, anyway."

Minhyuk gives him the directions, and Hyunwoo checks around the area while Minhyuk goes inside the café. There's barely anyone around, which he expects. Mostly everyone comes for the bookstore, and leave not long after. That's why Jooheon liked it. It was good for when him and Minhyuk just wanted to talk.

Minhyuk shows the student behind the cash register a photo of Jooheon from his phone. "Have you seen this student come in here any time soon?"

She scrutinizes the photo, and, with a sad smile, shakes her head. "No, I haven't. Sorry."

Hyunwoo and Minhyuk meet each other at the entrance, both frowning.

"Let's check some places around his school," Hyunwoo offers. With a nod, Minhyuk climbs into the car, and they head for Jooheon's university. 

There's a library that they check, (although Minhyuk's pretty sure Jooheon wouldn't go there. He orders all his college books from online.) They check the cafeteria, the common room in the dormitory, and ask some people around in the dorms if they've seen Jooheon, or could know where he is. No one has valuable information. They've only seen him going to classes two or three days ago, and all of them are sure that he was always by himself then. Disappointed, Hyunwoo and Minhyuk head back to the car.

"Do you think that he could be with his band members?" Minhyuk asks. It makes sense. Minhyuk does think a student told him that the last time she'd seen Jooheon was a gig at some bar the students from their university frequent, even if that was two weeks ago.

Unfortunately, Hyunwoo shakes his head. "Changkyun said that Jooheon quit."

_"Quit?"_ Minhyuk echoes in confusion. He wonders why Jooheon had never told him that. But there's a lot he's sure he doesn't know about Jooheon now. "That's so crazy."

"I know," Hyunwoo murmurs. "He really liked being in that band. He got into so many arguments with his dad over it, but he always stuck with it."

Minhyuk looks to his hands, sighing. "CEO Son," he calls.

His former boss hums in response, hands tightening on the steering wheel. 

"Is it all right for me to ask what you and Jooheon argued about?"

"Something stupid," Hyunwoo replies with a frown. Minhyuk thinks that this is the end of it, but he continues with a sharp exhale. "I don't remember how it started. He gets upset sometimes about his family. Sometimes, he gets so frustrated that he says weird things, like how I need to realize that his dad isn't mine, and I guess that's true. I usually just keep quiet when Jooheon gets emotional, but this time I accidentally hurt his feelings."

"And that's why he ran off?"

Hyunwoo sadly nods.

"What if he's not in Seoul?" Minhyuk questions.

There's a long silence of Hyunwoo staring out of the windshield. He just sighs. "Yeah, I thought about that."

He never answers his question.

They check around more places that Hyunwoo remembers that Jooheon likes to visit. A few restaurants, the mall, an internet cafe (they sit down to check all of  Jooheon's social media, but his most recent post is on Instagram, and it's just the box of a new pair of Beats he'd bought last week,) and a music store Hyunwoo says Jooheon buys his drumsticks and drum head stickers from. They get so desperate that they even walk around Jooheon's old high school. Hyunwoo wants to check inside, but the students are eating dinner and Minhyuk doesn't want to disturb them.

"I don't think he'll be inside of there, anyway," Minhyuk tells him.

Hyunwoo's shoulders slump. "Me neither."

"Hey," the younger boy says, catching Hyunwoo's attention, "let's check downtown, okay? I'll try calling him again."

Apparently, Jooheon still has his phone off. All of Minhyuk's calls are sent to voicemail instantly, and the text message he'd sent him is still there floating, waiting to be delivered. Minhyuk sighs. He cares about Jooheon so much. He just hopes that Jooheon is all right.

"There's somewhere I'm going to check really quickly," Hyunwoo says. Minhyuk nods, silently, and looks out the window, watching the bright city turn gradually turn into darkness. His hands are clasped around his phone, clammy, hoping that any second it'd ring and it'll be Jooheon.

The road shifts into a dark neighborhood. It looks abandoned, but as they travel through more houses of chalky, peeling paint, and ivy growing from old, cracked windows, he sees a few people littered around, children sitting on the steps of houses, dark alleyways only of shadows. Minhyuk feels uneasy.

"Do you really think he's here?" Minhyuk asks.

"I don't know," Hyunwoo replies. He parks his car along a curb. There's a small house in front of them that's missing a door, and Minhyuk is pretty sure that no one could be inside there. "It wouldn't hurt to look."

"Okay," he murmurs. Hesitantly, he reaches for his seat belt, but Hyunwoo grips him by the wrist.

"Stay right here. I'll be back soon." Minhyuk opens his mouth to protest, but Hyunwoo looks at him in a way that instantly has his mouth shutting. "Don't leave the car, okay?"

Minhyuk gulps and slowly relaxes back into the car seat, nodding. It's so weird how much he really doesn't know about Jooheon. Folding his hands, he watches as Hyunwoo climbs out the car, locking the doors and closing it behind him. Minhyuk expects him to walk into the entrance of the abandoned home they've parked beside, but instead Hyunwoo walks off into the darkness until he can no longer be seen.

He pulls his chair back so that he's hidden from the car windows and stares at the dark roof, listening to his own unsteady breathing.

Time seems to pass too slowly with Hyunwoo being gone. Minhyuk doesn't know what to do. He tries trying to reach Jooheon again, but it's no use. His phone is still off.  

Eventually, Minhyuk pulls his seat up, because he's getting sleepy and he really doesn't want to know what it'd be like if he woke up in this neighborhood. Sighing, he texts Jooheon another message that just sits there, going nowhere. Minhyuk feels like crying.

He jumps at the car doors unlocking and then relaxes at the sight of Hyunwoo slipping into the driver's seat, starting the car.

"Well?" Minhyuk says.

"Well," Hyunwoo repeats, pulling out of the curb and flying down the street, "he was around here yesterday."

"And?"

There's a silence that follows. Hyunwoo slows the car at a broken streetlight, and then quickly emerges into the vibrant city again. "That's it. He just wanted to borrow money, and then he left."

"Borrow money?" Minhyuk repeats in astonishment, his inhale catching in his throat. "He could be doing anything."

"I know."

"He could be _anywhere,_ CEO Son!"

"I know."

Minhyuk stares at the windshield, and then cries, his hands trembling as he tries to hide his face away. Hyunwoo looks at him as if he's unsure of what to do, and Minhyuk feels so embarrassed sobbing in front of his boss, but he can't stop the tears from spilling down his face. He's so anxious, and so angry with himself, even though he's unsure why. 

Awkwardly, Hyunwoo places a hand on his back. "Minhyuk-ssi, it's okay."

"How is it okay?" Minhyuk shouts. Hyunwoo's hand shrinks away from him. "We don't know where the hell Jooheon is! We don't even know if he's safe! I just want him to be okay!"

"Wow, you really do like him," Hyunwoo says.

Minhyuk looks at his former boss in anger, brows furrowed and tears dripping from his chin, and then — _oh._

_Oh God._

"I do," Minhyuk whispers, eyes widening. He looks at his phone, and then to Hyunwoo again, staring at the younger boy with confusion. "Oh my, God. I — I like Jooheon."

"You didn't know?"

"I..." Minhyuk stares off again, wondering exactly how he didn't know. It made sense. How he'd felt so happy with him, how he'd felt so empty when Jooheon wasn't around. How he'd wake up mornings with Jooheon resting besides him and he'd feel as if this was how he was meant to wake up. Him feeling so in love with Jooheon being so cute and so squishy that Minhyuk always wanted to hold him and cuddle him and kiss his cute cheeks. "I'm an idiot, CEO Son."

Hyunwoo chuckles. "You said it."

"We have to find him," Minhyuk sniffs. "We have to make sure he's all right."

"We will," Hyunwoo promises. Minhyuk crosses his fingers again.

They visit a few more stores that Jooheon may be, but it seems that he's nowhere to be found. Minhyuk holds back tears each time that they walk out from a door with the same information that they had before. He can't believe that he likes Jooheon and he doesn't even have the chance to tell him. He has to tell him. Jooheon has to know how he feels.

"There's a restaurant," Minhyuk remembers, suddenly. "It's a pizza place that Jooheon liked taking me to. He could be there."

Nodding, Hyunwoo listens to the directions to the pizza parlor. Minhyuk feels his heart beating too quickly behind his chest. If Jooheon isn't here, he's unsure what he'll do. There's nowhere else he can think of that Jooheon would be.

They're hit with a waft of heat and the scent of grease when Hyunwoo pushes the door open. There's more people scattered around in the booths and chairs than Minhyuk's used to. But he doesn't see Jooheon amongst any of the faces. His stomach churns.

"Excuse me," Hyunwoo says when he reaches the counter. He pulls out his phone, but Minhyuk stops him. They don't need a picture. Him and Jooheon come around here so much that they're not even asked what they want to order.

"Have you seen Jooheon around here anytime soon?" Minhyuk ask, hopeful. 

The woman smiles at the two of them, and then nods. Minhyuk exhales a sigh of relief. Hyunwoo grins beside him. "He ate here a while ago."

"A while ago?" Minhyuk repeats, excited. "How long ago is a while ago? Like a day ago?"

"Oh, no. Thirty minutes ago, at the least," she replies. "Are you looking for him?"

"Yes, yes, yes," he says. "Do you know if he's okay? Did he look fine? Do you know where it went?"

"Minhyuk-ssi," Hyunwoo chuckles with a hand resting to his shoulder, "give her time to answer each question."

Heat rises in Minhyuk's cheeks.

"He looked perfectly fine," she happily tells him before extending a finger to the glass entrance of the pizza parlor. "I think he went that way."

Minhyuk follows her finger, slowly, and his lips instantly widened into a smile. The direction of the club.

 

. . .

 

"I don't understand," Hyunwoo murmurs as they climb out of the car. He fixes the thin jacket he has on and pushes the car door closed. "Why would he be here?"

"Me and Jooheon came here sometimes," Minhyuk replies, although it's not really an answer. He's unsure why Jooheon would end up here, but then again, it's the closest place for a drink. He's sure Jooheon just wanted somewhere to let loose. "Come on, let's go inside."

Hyunwoo opens the door for him, and it's only then Minhyuk realizes how this could sort of be a hassle. There's so many people littered around, dancing through splurges of color, shouting and laughing with their arms thrown around friends and making out against walls. If Jooheon had arrived here somewhere near thirty minutes ago, he could have tangled himself up with anything, or anyone.

"Where do we look?" Hyunwoo questions.

Minhyuk scans his eyes over the crowds and simply shrugs. "You look through everyone. I'll, um, ask around? Ten minutes, and we'll meet each other at the entrance."

With a nod, Hyunwoo disappears into the mass of bodies, and with a sigh, Minhyuk tries to look around for someone that looks like they'll know what they're talking about. He pulls up the picture on his phone from before and pushes around through the people, seemingly agitated with his presence.

"Have you seen this boy?" Minhyuk asks a group. They ignore him, distractedly dancing with drinks in their hands and laughing about something. This time, Minhyuk screams it, but they all look at the picture in disgust, and then look away with the shake of their head.

It goes like this for quite some time. No one cares about Jooheon, or have seen him. Minhyuk feels like crying when he tries asking another group, but they all just try hitting on him until he finally just runs away. Minhyuk looks at the time on his phone. Nine minutes. One more minute, and they'll just have to give up. A tear slips from his eye.  Minhyuk wipes it away and heads for the bar, asking each person that he passes if they've seem him. All he receives are annoyed glances and no's.

"Hi," Minhyuk greets the bartender impressively mixing drinks. The woman pulls her eyes to him and smiles. "Sorry to bother you. Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she replies. Minhyuk waits for her to slide the drink across the bar, and a rowdy group of guys cheering when their friend catches it. "What is it?"

Minhyuk shows her the photo. "Please tell me that you've seen him."

"Hm." She leans into his phone, squinting at the picture, and then smiling as pulling away. "You're in luck."

Minhyuk grins at her, and then looks to where she points. A little further down the bar is where Jooheon is sitting, shoulders slumped over a drink, his hair curly and falling over his forehead. Minhyuk rushes towards him without any further thoughts. 

_"Jooheon-ah!"_   he cries. Instantly, his arms wrap around him, chin slipping onto his shoulder and he squeezes him so tightly that Jooheon yelps. He pulls away from him and cradles Jooheon's face in his hands, kissing his cheeks over and over again. "Baby boy, I was so worried about you!"

"Why? I texted you," Jooheon tells him in confusion.

"No, you didn't," Minhyuk says. "I couldn't even send you a text, and I called you over and over again."

"Oh," Jooheon murmurs, "the signal is pretty shit around here. I'm sorry, hyung. I didn't mean to worry you."

Minhyuk pulls him into his arms again, squeezing him tightly against his chest. "It's fine. I'm so happy that you're okay. Oh, God, I was so worried about you. And CEO Son, he was so anxious. We've been looking for you for hours."

"Hyunwoo hyung is here too?" Jooheon asks with wide eyes.

"Of course he's here," Minhyuk says. "He loves you. You're his brother."

Jooheon contemplates this and relaxes in Minhyuk's arms again, letting him stroke his hair. He pulls away, keeping his arms around Jooheon's torso, and knocking their foreheads together.

"Asshole," Minhyuk murmurs. "You're such an asshole."

"How am I an asshole?"

"You make me worry about you," he responds sheepishly. Pouting, he knocks his knuckles against Jooheon's chest. "You make me like you."

Dimples deep, his lips pull into a wide smile. Face glowing, shining so brightly that Minhyuk feels as if he's looking into the sun. "You like me, hyung?"

"Yeah," Minhyuk replies. He leans in closer, brushing his lips teasingly. His teeth showing as he smiles back at him, he grips at Jooheon's band tee. "I like you, Jooheon-ah. I think I've always liked you."

It's Jooheon who closes the space between them, catching Minhyuk's lips in his, and as he kisses him, filling Minhyuk with the familiar feeling of adoration and warmth, he thinks, _this is how things are supposed to be._

 

. . .

 

Midnight, they're back at Minhyuk's house. A while ago, Minhyuk never thought they would be here. His former boss sitting on his couch with Jooheon, asleep, resting on his lap, and the teenager's legs sprawled out over Minhyuk's. Minhyuk smiles at him, admiring every little feature of the younger boy, and rubbing his legs through the black, ripped denim.

"Minhyuk-ssi," Hyunwoo calls, his voice soft to not disturb Jooheon. With a hum, Minhyuk looks to him, curiously, smile still wide on his lips. "I'm happy that everything is okay now."

"Me too," Minhyuk nods.

Hyunwoo smiles at him, adorably, and looks to Jooheon in his lap. "I know he's an adult now, but he's still my little bro," he tells him. "Please treat him well."

"I will," Minhyuk promises.

"I know." Hyunwoo replies. His eyes squint at Minhyuk, and it makes him feel warm. "But if you break his heart, I'll make sure you'll never find a job in this country ever again."

Minhyuk looks to Hyunwoo with wide eyes, mouth opening and closing like a fish until the man laughs, eyes crinkling.

"I'm kidding," he tells him, still chuckling softly. Minhyuk smiles and laughs along with him, his eyes trailing to the teenager again when Hyunwoo averts his eyes to his brother's face, patting his arm. Jooheon stirs, but only slightly. "I trust you. Jooheonie is in good hands. I know that."

Minhyuk smiles so wide that his cheeks hurt, and Hyunwoo smiles back at him. "I liked you, you know?"  Minhyuk whispers.

Hyunwoo nods, laughing. "Yeah, I know."

He seems to know everything. Minhyuk looks back to Jooheon's still face, his parted lips, and he thinks to ask Hyunwoo if he ever liked him too, but, eventually, he just decides to let the night end here in silence. It doesn't really matter. It never did. 

 

. . .

 

 

The day is ethereal. Sun shining perfectly over the garden, light seeping through the trees, falling over the chairs lined up with white tulle and the light pink petals of a flower outlining an aisle. There's a small band set up amongst the grass, playing something soft and captivating as the wind gently brushes past, sweeping through Minhyuk's brown hair, and his cheeks aching from smiling so much.

Hyunwoo and Hyungwon stand across from each other underneath a floral arch. Minhyuk thinks that he's never seen his former boss this happy before, looking at Hyungwon with the cheesiest smile, holding his hands. As the music fades, he leans over to the taller boy and whispers something in his ear, the two of them giggling together like little kids. The sweetest thing ever.

"Hyung," Minhyuk whispers as the priest pronounces Hyunwoo and Hyungwon husbands, "you don't even know them. Why are you crying?"

Hoseok dabs at his eyes with the tissue Kihyun hands him. "Shut up," he says.

The younger boy just laughs and wraps an arm around his hyung's shoulders, the happy grooms leaning into each other timidly as if it's the kiss of a first date. Hyungwon glances at the crowd with a cheeky smirk just as their lips brush, laughter humming throughout the garden, before the two men are sealing together with a loving kiss. They instantly cheer for the newly wedded couple, the small band starting up again with a soft violin and Hoseok crying even harder. It's perfect. All of it. Minhyuk's happy for them. He is.

Jooheon smiles at him from the front with crinkled eyes and perfectly aligned teeth, and Minhyuk feels his heart fluttering at the sight of it. He's so adorable in his formal tux ironed to perfection, his hair deliberately straightened and gelled, tan skin glowing. Minhyuk can't wait until he can kiss Jooheon himself. All that he wants.

The wedding reception is just as beautiful as the wedding. It's a little venue with squeaky clean floors and little circular tables set up with flowers, plates, and forks. Happily, Minhyuk plops down with Jooheon's family. They're all happy to meet him, and he tries to memorize every face and name. Maybe it's a little too early for him to be getting familiar with them, but he doesn't care and Jooheon doesn't seem to care either when he's entered the venue, sweating, after the outdoor wedding party photos and beams as Minhyuk laughs with his father.

Minhyuk isn't really concerned with those things, whether they're moving too quickly too slowly. There doesn't seem to be a reason to.

After the wedding party has settled down, Jooheon takes center of the venue with a mic and glass, half-filled with bubbly champagne. He's so shy that it's adorable. Minhyuk gives him a thumbs-up when he taps the glass, grabbing everyone's attention, and clears his throat. He'd been the most nervous about this moment, having to make a speech. Minhyuk had stayed up with him one night, helping him write it on a napkin and listening to Jooheon say it to himself over and over again.

("It has to be perfect," Jooheon tells him, marking out something about how love always finding a way, which Minhyuk had quite the laugh at. "I want my words to be so sharp that it makes people fall in love."

"Okay, Cupid," Minhyuk chuckles, interlacing their fingers. Jooheon reads the speech over to himself again, adding a few words here and there. "It'll be great. Let's go over it one more time.")

"Um, hi everyone," Jooheon greets, waving. The crowd laughs and Jooheon sheepishly ducks his head, pink growing in his cheeks. "I wasn't really quite sure what to say when Hyunwoo hyung told me that he wanted me to be his best man, but since I'm the best man, I kind of have to."

Hyunwoo face-palms with the hand that isn't holding Hyungwon's, but he's grinning. 

"Um, I... I don't think ever in the nineteen years of my life I've seen Hyunwoo hyung so happy," Jooheon smiles. "He is a rather happy person, but happiness is a little different when you're in love with someone. It's kind of like you can feel someone's smile when they're in love. Like you're looking into the sun, and man, that's pretty cool."

Laughter thumps through the venue. Jooheon grips at his nape, chuckling softly at himself too.

"To be honest, I never really understood Hyungwon and Hyunwoo. The first time I met Hyungwon, I hated him. I mean, he wasn't a bad guy, but he just sort of got on my nerves. I didn't really understand why Hyunwoo would want to be with him." Jooheon turns to Hyungwon who's gaping at the teenager, a hand clutching his heart in mock offense. "Don't worry, hyungs. This gets better."

Minhyuk laughs, wondering where in the hell he could possibly be going with this.

"Hyungwon and Hyunwoo were always busy for each other, and I didn't get it. How could you be in love with someone that you don't see every day? How can you still feel the same way you always have about them being separated so much? How do you deal with missing each other? I never understood how they could go months without seeing each other, and then be together again as if no time had passed. But I think that's the thing about being in love with someone, about being in love. When those little things become only things, and when everything makes sense because you can't live without that person. All in all, it's just finding someone that makes you happy." Jooheon finds Minhyuk's eyes then, and smiles. "It comes in all shapes and forms and can get you through anything... It can open you up and change you, maybe into an entirely different person."

He pauses then, his eyes never leaving Minhyuk's. A comfortable silence settles over the venue before his smiling lips lean into the mic again.

"I guess that I just want to thank you, Hyungwon hyung, for being the one to make my step — my brother happy, and I hope that someday we can all wake up to someone every morning feeling as if it's the first time over and over again," he pauses again, cringing, chuckling softly into the mic. "Uh, that's all."

A light applause follows Jooheon as he trails off to the seat next to Minhyuk, their fingers interlacing and Minhyuk feeling that ache again in his cheeks.

"You did great," Minhyuk whispers to him. Jooheon squeezes his hand, and Minhyuk squeezes back, their hands resting on Jooheon's lap.

As soon as the speeches come to an end, Jooheon and Minhyuk are the first on the dance floor, their ties loosened, cuffs unbuttoned, sipping from glasses of champagne. The two of them are shuffling along to some Michael Jackson song, moving entirely out of rhythm and stupidly. Minhyuk laughs at the two of them and pulls Jooheon into his chest, planting a kiss to his dimple.

"By the way, that speech, when did you write all that?" Minhyuk asks him.

Jooheon smiles. "Just then," he replies. "Off the top of my head. Cheesy, right? I wanted it to be raw and meaningful. Did you like it?"

"It was cute," the older boy tells him with a laugh. "You're cute. The cutest."

Jooheon only giggles as Hoseok joins them on the dance floor, smiling at Jooheon and naturally slipping a hand onto the small of Minhyuk's back.

"I so saw the eye contact during the speech," Hoseok laughs. He points at Jooheon's chest, smiling at the teenager. "You really know how to pick someone up."

"Hyung," Minhyuk grins, "this is my boyfriend,  Jooheon."

"Nice to meet you," his hyung bows, shaking his hand. Jooheon bows to him too, squinting at the man with a wide smile. "I can't believe I haven't met you. You're Hyunwoo's brother?"

"Yes," Jooheon nods. He sips from his champagne. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Watch it with the drinks," Minhyuk warns him. He takes the glass from Jooheon's hand just as he goes to take another sip. "Don't you have a class in the morning?"

He sighs. "Well, yeah. But come on, it's my brother's wedding."

"You're a student?" Hoseok questions, sipping from his own glass as he cocks his head at him, interested.

"Yeah," Jooheon tells him. He takes his champagne back from Minhyuk, and the older boy laughs, deciding to let him enjoy his night. "I'm in my first year."

"Oh, okay," Hoseok happily replies. He opens his mouth to further their conversation, but a drunk Kihyun is suddenly by his side just as the song shifts into a slower tune, a love ballad, taking Hoseok by the hand.

"Dance with me, baby," Kihyun slurs. Hoseok doesn't have to reply before he's following after him, and Minhyuk and Jooheon are left to themselves, smiling at each other with heart eyes.

Minhyuk instantly slips his fingers into Jooheon's palm, resting his other on his shoulder and Jooheon placing his on Minhyuk's hip. They fall into the same pattern of steps, swaying side to side, and laughing without there having to be anything to laugh at. He glances at Hyunwoo and Hyungwon in the center of the venue, still clutching to each other even after their dance that'd had Hoseok dripping with tears again, and smiles, looking to his hyung and ex-colleague sloppily slow dancing with each other. 

"Soon," Jooheon says as Minhyuk steals another glance of Hyunwoo and Hyungwon, the newly weds happily pecking each other's lips and pressed tightly together, "that will be us."

Minhyuk bursts into a laugh. "What the hell are you talking about, little boy?"

"Too soon?" Jooheon asks. He pulls Minhyuk to his chest and kisses him, their lips slow and smiling. "Many years later, that will be us."

Minhyuk laughs into his neck. "Just shut up."

"Okay," the younger boy chuckles.

Minhyuk rests his head on Jooheon's shoulder, eyes fluttering closed, and as Jooheon's hand tightens on his hip, he suddenly finds himself thinking of their first time at the pizza parlor. He thinks of how Jooheon told him about feeling like a black sheep in their family, telling him that he's okay that he is because he's found his place. He thinks of how he had inwardly felt so envious of Jooheon knowing where he belonged so soon in life. How do you know? How do you find it? All this time, Minhyuk has been asking himself the wrong questions, and here, his body pressed to Jooheon, chest to chest, all that he inhales being Jooheon and only Jooheon, he thinks that he's found it. His place. It's right here.

It's been right here all along. 

**Author's Note:**

> the moral of the story is... if you can't get with a hoe, get with that hoe's nineteen-year-old stepbrother.
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!! scream at me on my [tumblr](https://nottechae.tumblr.com/) and [honeypup](http://joominty.tumblr.com/) tumblr


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